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THE 
GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 




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THE 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



AUTHORIZED EDITION 




PUBLISHED BY 

THE VEDANTA SOCIETY 
135 West 8oth Street 

NEW YORK 



vA 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS, 
TwoCoplti Receive 

JAN 171908 

Oownffni cntrv 

CLASSA ; XXc, No, 

COPY 8. 






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COPYRIGHT, X907, BY SWAMI ABHKDANANDA 
ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



ROBERT DRUMMOKD COMPANY, PRINTERS, NEW YORK 






Niranjanam Nifyam " antintarupam, 
Bhaktdnukampd dhritavigrakam vai; 
Ishdvatdram Par ante sham Idyam, 
Tarn Ramakrishriam Shirashd Namdmah. 

Salutations to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, 
the perfect Embodiment of the Eternal Truth 
which manifests Itself in various forms to help 
mankind, and the Incarnation of the Supreme 
Lord who is worshipped by all. 

Hari Om Tat Sat. 



PREFACE 



This is the authorized English edition of 
the " Gospel of Ramakrishna." For the first 
time in the history of the world's Great Saviours, 
the exact words of the Master were recorded 
verbatim by one of His devoted disciples. 
These words were originally spoken in the 
Bengali language of India. They were taken 
down in the form of diary notes by a house- 
holder disciple, "M." At the request of Sri 
Ramakrishna's Sannyasin disciples, however, 
these notes were published at Calcutta during 
1 902- 1 903 a.d., in Bengali, in two volumes, 
entitled " Rdmakrishna Kathdmrita." 

At that time "M" wrote to me letters au- 
thorizing me to edit and publish the English 
translation of his notes, and sent me the 
manuscript in English which he himself trans- 
lated, together with a true copy of a personal 



PREFACE 

letter * which Swami Vivekananda wrote to 
him. 

At the request of "M" I have edited and 
remodelled the larger portion of his English 
manuscript; while the remaining portions I 

* Swami Vivekananda' s letter to "M. " 

(True Copy.) 

Dehra Doon, 
24th Nov., 1897. 
My dear Master Mahasaya: 

Many thanks for your second leaflet. It is indeed wonder- 
ful. The move is quite original, and never the life of a great 
teacher was brought before the public untarnished by the 
writer's mind as you are doing. The language also is beyond 
all praise. So fresh, so pointed, and withal so plain and easy. 
I cannot express in adequate terms how I have enjoyed 
them. I am really in a transport when I read them. Strange, 
isn't it? Our teacher and Lord was so original and each 
one of us will have to be original or nothing. I now under- 
stand why none of us attempted his life before. It has been 
reserved for you, this great work. He is with you evidently. 
With all love and namaskar. 

(Sd.) Vivekananda. 

P.S. — Socratic dialogues are Plato all over. You are 
entirely hidden. Moreover, the dramatic part is infinitely 
beautiful. Everybody likes it — here or in the West. 

(Sd.) V. 

This letter of Swami Vivekananda shows that the words of 
the Master were accurately recorded by "M." 

viii 



PREFACE 

have translated directly from the Bengali 
edition of his notes. The marginal headings, 
foot-notes, and index, as well as the division 
of the Gospel into fourteen chapters, were 
added by me. I have endeavored to make 
every word of this edition as literal, simple, 
and colloquial as possible. 

Some repetitions are purposely kept to show 
how the Master used the same illustrations on 
different occasions during the course of His 
eloquent conversations. 

The completed work is now offered to the 
Western World with the sincere hope that the 
sublime teachings of Sri Ramakrishna may 
open the spiritual sight of seekers after Truth, 
and bring peace and freedom to all souls strug- 
gling for realization. 

Swami Abhedananda. 
New York, 
December 15, 1907. 

ix 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Introduction i 

I. Sri Ramakrishna at the Temple of 

Dakshineswara 21 

II. Sri Ramakrishna with His Disciples 

at the Temple 36 

III. The Bhagavan with Certain of His 

Householder Disciples 62 

IV. Visit to the Pandit Vidyasagara. ... 99 
V. Day on the River with Keshab Chun- 

der Sen . .' 142 

VI. Sunday at the Temple 179 

VII. Some Incidents in the Life of Sri 

Ramakrishna (as told by Himself) 207 
VIII. Feast at the Garden-house of Suren- 

dra 225 

IX. Visit to a Hindu Pandit and Preacher 261 
X. Gathering of Disciples at the Temple. 289 
XL Sri Ramakrishna at the Sinti Brahmo- 

Samaj 319 

XII. At the House of Balaram, a Disciple. 347 

XIII. A Day at Shampukur 379 

XIV. Cossipur Garden-house 411 

xi 



INTRODUCTION 



The Lord declares: — 

"Whenever true religion declines and irre- 
ligion prevails, I manifest myself and in every 
age I incarnate to establish spiritual law and 
to destroy evil." — Bhagavad Gitd. 

India has produced many great spiritual 

leaders who are recognized and worshipped as 

Saviours of mankind. The life and 

Saviours. 

character of each of these were as 
wonderful, superhuman, and divine as were those 
of the illustrious Son of Man. Each has been 
like the embodiment of all Divine attributes; 
each has been the giver of new life to the old 
spiritual truths, and the generator of that tidal 
wave of spirituality which has again and again 
inundated the religious world, surmounting the 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

barriers of superstition and prejudice and carry- 
ing the stream of individual souls toward the 
ocean of Divinity. 

The present upheaval of the spiritual tide, 
the waves of which, traversing nearly half the 
world, have touched the shores of America, was 
produced by the Christlike character and Divine 
personality of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna — 
revered and worshipped in India to-day as an 
ideal manifestation of the Divine glory. His 
life was so extraordinary and unparalleled that 
within ten years after His departure from earth 
it aroused the admiration, -wonder and rever- 
ence not only of all classes of people in His own 
country, but of many distinguished English 
and German scholars of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. 

A short account of the life of Bhagavan Sri 
Ramakrishna appeared for the first time in the 
January number of the ''Imperial and 
Ramakrishna Quarterly Review" of 1896 under the 
by European t i t i e f << A Modern Hindu Saint." It 
was an able article penned by Prof. 
C. H. Tawney, who was for many years the pro- 
fessor of Sanskrit in Calcutta University and the 
distinguished Librarian of India House in Lon- 
don. This article excited the interest of many 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

European scholars, among whom Professor Max 
Muller showed his appreciation by publishing in 
the August number of the " Nineteenth Cen- 
tury " of 1896 a short sketch of this Hindu 
Saint's life entitled "A Real Mahatman." In 
this celebrated article, which was for some time 
the subject of most severe criticism both in 
England and India among many of the Christian 
missionaries and the Theosophists, the noted 
Professor showed the difference between the 
imaginary Mahatmas of the Theosophists and 
the Real Mahatman or the Great Soul of India 
who had reached God-consciousness and had 
manifested Divinity in all the actions of His 
daily life. He gave a brief account of the ex- 
traordinary life of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, 
paying Him the highest tribute of honor and 
respect that a Christian scholar could give to a 
Divine manifestation in the so-called heathen 
land. Later, in 1898, he compiled and pub- 
lished " Ramakrishna, His Life and Sayings, " 
collecting more facts of His life and the say- 
ings of this exemplary character perfumed with 
Divine personality. 

Professor Max Muller was deeply impressed 
by the originality of this great Saint and real 
Mahatman, who was not brought up within the 

3 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

precincts of any university and who drew the 
water of His wisdom neither from any book 
Ramakrishna nor Scripture nor from any ancient 
a real Ma= prophet but directly from the eternal 
hatman. Fountainhead of all Knowledge and 

Wisdom. He was also struck by the broad, 
liberal and absolutely unsectarian spirit which 
pervades the utterings of Bhagavan Sri Rama- 
krishna. Indeed the life and sayings of the 
Bhagavan have given a death-blow to the sec- 
tarian bigotry and fanaticism of the so-called 
religious world. Whosoever has read His Say- 
ings is impressed with the universality of His 
spiritual ideals which embraced the ideals of 
all mankind. 

From His childhood Sri Ramakrishna fought 
against all sectarian doctrines and dogmas, but 
yet at the same time He showed that all sects 
and creeds were but the paths which lead sincere 
and earnest souls to the one universal goal of 
all religions. Having realized the highest ideal 
of every religion by following the methods and 
practices of the various sects and creeds of the 
world, Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna gave to 
humanity whatever spiritual experience and 
realization He had acquired. Every idea which 
He gave was fresh from above and unadulterated 

4 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

by the product of human intellect, culture or 
scholastic education. Each step of His life 
from babyhood to the last moment was extraor- 
dinary. Every stage was like the unfoldment 
of a chapter of a new scripture especially written 
out by the Unseen Hand to fit the minds of the 
East and the West and to fulfil the spiritual 
needs of the twentieth century. 

Bhagavan Sri RamaTcrishna is not only the 
greatest saint of modern India but He is the 
''Real Mahatman." A real Mahatman as de- 
scribed in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter VII, 
verse 19) is one who, having realized the Abso- 
lute, perceives the Divine Being in all animate 
and inanimate objects of the universe. His 
heart and soul never turn away from God. 
He lives in God-consciousness, and Divine 
qualities constantly flow through his soul. He 
cares neither for fame nor pow T er nor worldly 
prosperity. A true Mahatman has no attach- 
ment to His body or to sense-pleasures ; He is a 
living God; He is absolutely free and His inner 
nature is illumined by the self -effulgent light of 
Divine wisdom and His heart is overflowing with 
Divine Love. His soul becomes the playground 
of the Almighty, His body and -mind become 
the instrument of the Divine will. And Bha- 

5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

gavan Sri Ramakrishna was such a real Mahat- 
man. 

Even in this age when the vast majority of 
educated people do not believe in the existence 
of God and of the human soul, when scientific 
knowledge has turned the minds of students 
away from the path of spirituality, when sense- 
pleasures and the luxuries of life have become 
the ideals of earthly " existence and human 
beings have degenerated into money-making 
machines, we have witnessed with our eyes a 
Great Soul who is recognized as a Real Mahat- 
man by hundreds and thousands of thoughtful 
men and women of India, Europe and America. 
This Great Soul manifested His Divine qualities 
and lived in God-consciousness at every moment 
of His earthly career, and to-day thousands of 
people prostrate before His picture and worship 
Him as the latest manifestation of Divinity. 
Whosoever has heard of His most wonderful 
life has felt in his soul that Ramakrishna was 
the perfect Ideal of mankind. 

He made His appearance in an obscure part 
of Bengal where He passed His early boy- 
hood, but His youth and maturity were spent 
near Calcutta, the capital of British India, 
as cosmopolitan a city as London, New York, 

6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

or any other large city of the civilized world 
and the seat of education, refinement and scien- 
tific knowledge. He allowed the sceptical minds 
of the students and professors of colleges and 
universities as well as of educated men and 
women of the world to come in direct touch with 
the self-effulgent light of Divine wisdom which 
was shining in its full glory through His child- 
like, soft, and tender form. Scholars 
na's influence and intelligent people of all classes 
upon the mind poured from every quarter to that spot 

of Scholars. *\ . . f S 1 . . i r 

which was sanctified by the presence 
of the Bhagavan. He was the living example 
of the spiritual greatness and Divinity which 
had been manifested by the great Incarnations 
like Christ, Buddha, Krishna, Rama, Chaitanya* 
and other Saviours of the world. 

We know a number of sceptics and agnostics 
who had never believed in Christ or Buddha or 
Krishna as Divine Incarnations, who had never 
accepted the authority of the Scriptures, but on 

* Chaitanya, the Founder of a sect of the Vaishnavas, is 
regarded in India as the Incarnation of Krishna. He is 
also known as the "Prophet of Nuddea," for Nuddea (or 
Navadvipa) in Bengal was his birthplace. His other name 
is Lord Gauranga (see p. 9). He was born in 1485 A.D., 
and was a contemporary of Luther. 

7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the contrary had maintained that the lives of 
Christ and of other Saviours were but exag- 
gerated accounts based upon the imagination 
of their disciples, anxious to deify their human 
masters — such sceptics and unbelievers when 
they met Ramakrishna and watched His super- 
human life, were convinced that the lives of 
Christ, Buddha, Krishna, and other Avataras 
must have been true and real. The same 
sceptics, when they beheld His Divine powers, 
were so deeply impressed with His personality 
that they prostrated before Him, kissed the 
dust of His holy feet and realized that He was 
the Personification of the Sermon on the Mount, 
the Incarnation of Divinity on earth, and the 
remanifestation of Christ, Buddha, Krishna, and 
Chaitanya in one form. All the special quali- 
ties and Divine powders that had adorned the 
wonderful character of each of these great 
personages were witnessed by them in this 
uncommon Divine manifestation of the nine- 
teenth century. 

Have we not watched with admiration when 
the followers of all the great religions of the 
world recognized in Sri Ramakrishna their Divine 
Ideals? Have we not seen how Quakers and 
orthodox Christians knelt and prayed before 

8 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Him and worshipped Him as the Christ when 
the Bhagavan went into superconscious com- 
munion with the Heavenly Father 

Ramakrishna 

as the Divine after hearing the holy name ot Jesus 
ideal of ail f Nazareth? The Mahometan 

Sects. . 

saints who came to see Him, pros- 
trated at His holy feet and recognized in Him 
the highest Ideal of Islam. The Buddhists re- 
garded Him as Sambuddha, the Enlightened. 
The followers of Chaitanya, like Vaishnava Cha- 
ran,* and others, worshipped Him as the second 
Prophet of Nuddea when Bhagavan Sri Rama- 
krishna occupied the altar which was reveren- 
tially dedicated to Sri Chaitanya by hundreds 
of devoted Vaishnavas, who always prostrated 
before that altar and prayed to their Lord 
Guaranga. The worshippers of Krishna called 
Him the Incarnation of Krishna. The devotees 
of the Divine Mother realized that the Mother 
of the universe was playing through Him; the 
followers of Shiva declared that Bhagavan Sri 
Ramakrishna was their living Deity; while the 
vSikhs, the faithful votaries of Guru Nanaka,f 

* Vaishnava Charan was a great Hindu saint and a true 
follower of Chaitanya, whom he worshipped as the Ideal 
Incarnation of Divine Love. 

f Guru Nanaka was the founder of the sect known as the 
9 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

regarded Him as their Holy Master. His fol- 
lowers, seeing all these powers, marvelled at His 
greatness and believed that His many-sided 
personality was the living example and the 
consummation of all the previous Avataras 
and Divine manifestations. And the truth of 
this was again and again verified and confirmed 
by His acts as well as by His own words: "He 
who was Krishna, Rama, Christ, Buddha, Chai- 
tanya has now become Ramakrishna." Bhaga- 
van was always conscious of this truth and spoke 
of it before the world as well as before His 
dearest disciples. 

As His Divine personality was many-sided 

yet one, so was His great mission. It was to 

show the underlying unity in the 

His mission. . r • . . 

variety of religions and to establish 
that universal religion of which sectarian re- 
ligions are each but partial expressions. Like 
all other Saviours the life of the Bhagavan 
exemplified His mission. He spent the best 
part of His life in practising in full the different 

Sikhs, or disciples. He was born near Lahore in the Punjab 
(India) in the year 1469 a.d. and died in 1538 a.d. He 
was the first of the ten Gurus or spiritual masters among the 
Sikh people. He is regarded by His followers as a mani- 
festation of Divinity. 

10 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

methods of Yoga. He went through every 
minute detail of the devotional exercises and 
different forms of worship ordained by the 
Scriptures of different nations and practised 
by the followers of the various sects and creeds 
of the world. His object in devoting so much 
time to these practices was to find out whether 
they had any real value in the path which leads 
to perfection. 

Ramakrishna's mind was always open to 
Truth. He would not accept anything on 
second-hand authority. He would not believe 
in anything because it was written in a book 
or because it was declared by some great per- 
sonage. He must know the Truth first hand. 
Before accepting any statement, He must realize 
it in His own life and then He would speak 
of His personal experience to others in order 
that they might gain benefit from it. For nearly 
twelve years before He appeared in public or 
made any disciples Sri Ramakrishna, like a 
scientific investigator, inquired into the beliefs 
of the various sects of every religion, followed 
their methods and performed their rituals and 
ceremonies with perfect faith and earnest devo- 
tion that He might realize the goal which could 
be reached by each of them. To His great 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

surprise, however, He discovered that He 
arrived at God-consciousness through each 
sectarian method. Whenever, furthermore, He 
desired to follow any particular path, there 
came to Him a perfected soul of each sect who 
had realized the Ideal, to direct Him in that 
path. Everyone of these great saints recognized 
in Sri Ramakrishna the manifestation of Divine 
powers, when in a short time He attained to that 
which they had not been able to acquire during 
years of austerity, worship and extreme devotion. 

Having finished His investigations, He was 
ready to proclaim His message and give to the 
world the fruits of His own experience and 
realization. But unlike other spiritual teachers, 
He did not go out in search after His disciples 
and followers. As a fragrant flower does not 
hunt for bees but waits patiently for the bees 
to come, so the full-blown flower of spirituality 
in the form of Sri Ramakrishna waited for His 
disciples to come to Him in the Temple garden 
at Dakshineswara on the bank of the Ganges. 

When Ramakrishna had attained to the 
highest ideal of each Yoga and had realized the 
spiritual oneness with the Absolute Brahman 
and the Mother of the universe, rumor spread 
from mouth to mouth that Ramakrishna had 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

reached perfection in this life. People from all 
quarters began to crowd around Him. Pandits 
and scholars of every nationality as well as 
hundreds of devout men and women of all sects 
came to see Him and listen to His original and 
wonderful teachings. This was the beginning 
of His public life as spiritual leader and guide, 
which continued for nearly sixteen years. 
During this period He did nothing but help 
mankind by freely distributing the priceless 
jewels of spiritual truths which he had earned 
through such struggle, hardship and austerities. 

Ramakrishna had a marvellous intellect and 
keen insight into the true nature of things and 
His spiritual events, and using the commonest oc- 
insight. currences of every-day life as illus- 

trations, He succeeded in making the dull minds 
of worldly people grasp the spiritual depth, 
beauty and grandeur of His sublime ideals. 
He poured new life into every word that He 
uttered so as to touch the soul of His hearers. 
People listened with wonder and admiration 
to His original discourses on the most difficult 
problems concerning life and death, the nature 
and origin of the soul, the origin of the universe 
and our relation to God. 

In this age of scientific rationalism Bhaga- 
*3 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

van Sr! Ramakrishna has shown to the world 
how the Lord of the universe can be realized 
Realization and attained in this life, and no one 
of God. except Him has ventured to go 

through all the tests of sceptics and agnostics 
to prove that He had attained to God-conscious- 
ness. Those who have seen Him, lived with 
Him for years and watched Him by day and by 
night, have proclaimed before the world that He 
was the embodiment of the highest spiritual 
ideals of all nations, and that whoever worships 
Him with faith and reverence worships the 
latest manifestation of Divinity. 

The Bhagavan proved by His example that 
wherever there is extreme longing to see God, 
there is the nearness of the realization of the 
absolute Truth. His life has given to the world 
a grand demonstration that even in this age 
Divinity can be reached and Divine perfection 
can be acquired by one who is pure, chaste, 
simple and whose devotion is whole-hearted and 
whole-souled. We have neither seen nor heard 
of a character purer, simpler, more chaste, more 
truthful and more godly than that of this ideal 
Mahatman. He was like the personification of 
purity and chastity and the embodiment of 
truthfulness. 

14 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

His life was the life of absolute renunciation. 
Earthly pleasures and comforts meant nothing 
to Him. The only pleasure, comfort or happi- 
ness which He cared for was the blissful state 
of Samadhi or God-consciousness, when His 
soul, liberated from the bondage of body and 
mind, soared high in the infinite space of the 
Absolute. This Samadhi was a natural state 
with Ramakrishna. He never had to make a 
special effort to attain it. We often heard Him 
say that when He was four years old He went 
into Samadhi at the sight of the beautiful color- 
ing of a tropical cloud. This realization He 
always remembered and often described in His 
conversation. And as He grew older His 
Samadhi or ecstasy became stronger and deeper. 

In His Samadhi His body would become ab- 
solutely motionless, His pulse and heart -beat 
imperceptible, His eyes would be half 

His Samadhi. r V-r ^ TT - 

open and it anyone pressed His eye- 
ball with the finger, His body would not move 
or show the least sign of sensation. He would 
remain in this state sometimes for a few minutes, 
sometimes for half an hour or an hour, and on 
one occasion He continued in it for three days 
and nights. Then He would come down on 
the plane of sense-consciousness and relate His 

J 5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

experiences. He had the power to separate 
Himself from the cage of the physical organism 
and to go into this state of Divine communion 
at His will and stay there as long as He wished. 
Frequently He told us that He reached such a 
height in Samadhi that if He had been like an 
ordinary mortal He could never have returned 
to His body ; that no mortal had ever come back 
from that kind of Samadhi ; and that the Divine 
Mother gave Him this power to return to this 
plane simply to help mankind and to establish 
His mission. 

To Him God was father, mother, brother, 
sister, and everything. He recognized no earthly 
relations. He never coveted wealth, nor had He 
any earthly possession. He realized that gold 
had no more value than earth and became ab- 
Hisrenuncia= solutely unattached to riches, under- 
tion - standing the transitoriness of the 

objects which can be acquired by wealth. He 
often said that immortality could not be pur- 
chased by money, and emphasized by His ex- 
ample the true meaning of the Vedic passage: 
"Neither by meritorious deed, nor by progeny, 
nor by wealth, but by renunciation alone the 
Immortal Truth can be acquired/ ' Renuncia- 
tion of the attachment to worldly things is the 

16 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

gate to God-consciousness. Christ, Buddha, 
Chaitanya, Sankaracharya and all other Saviours 
and spiritual leaders of the world exemplified 
this by living the life of absolute renunciation. 
It is very rare to find in this age a perfect ideal 
of the renunciation of lust and of worldly attach- 
ment. Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna practised the 
ideal of the renunciation of riches to such an ex- 
tent that He was able to make His body respond 
involuntarily to the touch of coin by shrinking 
from it even in sound sleep. We have often seen 
Him suffer pain when he was obliged to touch a 
coin of any metal. Who could be a more perfect 
ideal of renunciation in this age of materialism ! 
Sri Ramakrishna tauglit that every woman, 
old or young, was the representative of the 
He uplifted Divine Mother. He worshipped God 
womanhood. as t h e Mother of the universe and fre- 
quently declared that His Divine Mother had 
shown Him that all women represent Divine 
Motherhood on earth. For the first time in 
the religious history of the world was this ideal 
preached by any Divine Incarnation. And 
upon this depends the salvation of men and 
especially of women of all countries from immo- 
rality, corruption and such other vices as prevail 
in a civilized community. 

17 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

By His living example the Bhagavan estab- 
lished the truth of spiritual marriage on the 
soul plane even in this age of sensuality. He 
had a wife whom He always treated with rever- 
ence and whom He regarded as the manifesta- 
tion of His Divine Mother. He never had any 
sex relation with her or with any woman on the 
physical plane. His wife, the Blessed Virgin 
Sarada Devi, is still living like an embodiment 
of Holy Motherhood with innumerable spiritual 
children around Her. She in turn has always 
regarded the Bhagavan as Her Blessed Mother 
Divine in a human form. Up to the last 
moment of His earthly career the Bhagavan 
was absolutely pure, chaste, and a perfect child 
of His Divine Mother of the universe. Further- 
more, Ramakrishna uplifted the ideal of woman- 
hood on the spiritual plane by accepting His 
first Guru or spiritual instructor in a woman 
form. No other Saviour or spiritual leader has 
ever given such an honor to womanhood in the 
annals of religious history. 

The mission of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna 

was to show by His living example how a truly 

spiritual man, being dead to the world 

His mission. -.•■■- 

of senses, can live on the spiritual 
plane of God-consciousness; it was to prove 

I* 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that each individual soul is immortal and 
potentially Divine. His mission was to estab- 
lish harmony between religious sects and creeds. 
For the first time it was absolutely demonstrated 
by Ramakrishna that all religions are like so 
many paths leading to the same Goal, that the 
realization of the same Almighty Being is the 
highest Ideal of Christianity, Mahometanism, 
Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, as well as 
of all other smaller religions of the world. Srt 
Ramakrishna's mission was to proclaim the 
eternal Truth that God is one but has many 
aspects, and that the same one is worshipped 
by different nations under various names and 
forms; that He is personal, impersonal and 
beyond both; that He is with name and form 
and yet nameless and formless. His mission 
was to establish the worship of the Divine 
Mother and thus to elevate the ideal of woman- 
hood into Divine Motherhood. His mission 
was to show by His own example that true 
spirituality can be transmitted and that salva- 
tion can be obtained through the grace of a 
Divine Incarnation. His mission was to declare 
before the world that psychic powers and the 
power of healing are obstacles in the path of 
the attainment of God-consciousness. 

T 9 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna possessed all the 
Yoga powers but He seldom exercised those 
His Divine powers, especially the power of heal- 
powers. j n g diseases. Moreover, He always 

prevented His disciples from either seeking or 
exercising those powers. But one power which 
we have seen Him frequently exercise was the 
Divine power to transform the character of a 
sinner and to *lj# a worldly soul to the plane 
of superconsciousness by a single touch. He 
would take the sins of others upon His own 
shoulders and would purify them by trans- 
mitting His own spirituality and opening the 
spiritual eyes of His true followers. 

The days of prophecy have passed before our 
eyes. The manifestations of the Divine powers 
of One who* is worshipped to-day by thousands 
as the latest Incarnation of Divinity, we have 
witnessed with our eyes. Blessed are they who 
have seen Him and touched His holy feet. 
May the glory of Sri Ramakrishna be felt by 
all nations of the earth; may His Divine power 
be manifested in the earnest and sincere souls of 
His devotees of all countries in all ages to come, 
is the prayer of His child and servant, 

Abhedananda. 

20 



CHAPTER I 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AT THE TEMPLE 
OF DAKSHINESWARA 

Bhagavan * Sri Ramakrishna lived for 
many years in Rani Rashmoni's celebrated 
where Temple garden on the eastern bank 

Ramakrishna of the Ganges in the village of 
1 v ed Dakshineswara about four miles north 

of Calcutta. This Temple with the garden at- 
tached was dedicated by its foundress (Rani 
Rashmoni) to the Divine Mother (Kali). In 
the northwest corner of the spacious Temple- 
compound is a small room which faces on the 
west the waters of the sacred river Ganges. 
This room with its holy surroundings was con- 

* "Bhagavan" is a Sanskrit word meaning "The Blessed 
Lord." When the word is used without the accent on "a" 
of the last syllable it signifies the vocative case used in address- 
ing a Saviour. 

21 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

secrated as the dwelling-place for many years 
of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, whose Divine 
Presence made the spot holier and more sacred. 
It was from this retired corner that the rays 
of His Divine glory, emanating from His God- 
intoxicated soul, dazzled the eyes of the seekers 
after Truth and attracted them to Him as a 
blazing fire attracts moths from all quarters. 
Hundreds of educated men and women were 
drawn towards this superhuman personality to 
listen with the deepest reverence to the words 
of wisdom uttered by One who had realized 
God and who lived in constant communion with 
the Divine Mother of the universe. 

One Sunday in the month of March, 1882, 
Mahendra, hearing from a friend about this 
Mahendra's Divine Man, was so deeply impressed 
visit to the that he came to the Temple garden 
Temple. ^ Q ^^ jjj m a re spectful visit. It was 

the day of a special religious festival and people 
had gathered in great numbers in Sri Rama- 
krishna's room and on the veranda. The Bha- 
gavan was seated on a raised platform, and on 
the floor around Him were Kedar, Suresh, Ram, 
Manmohan, Bijoy, and many other devotees. 
They gazed up into His radiant face and drank 
the nectar of the living words of Divine wisdom 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that fell from His hallowed lips. With a smiling 
face Sri Ramakrishna was speaking to them 
of the power of the Lord's Holy Name and true 
Bhakti as the means of attaining God-vision. 
Addressing Bijoy,* He asked: What do you say 
is the means of attaining to God ? 

Bijoy: Bhagavan, by the repetition of His 
Holy Name. In this age the Holy Name of the 
Lord has saving powers. 

Bhagavan: Yes, the Holy Name has saving 
powers, but there must be earnest longing with 
Power of the {t - Without earnest longing of the 
Lord's Holy heart no one can see God by mere 
Name. repetition of His Name. One may 

repeat His Name, but if one's mind be attached 
to lust and wealth, that will not help much. 
When a man is bitten by a scorpion or a taran- 
tula, mere repetition of a mantram will not do; 
a special remedy is necessary. 

Bijoy: If that be the case, Bhagavan, then 
how did Ajamila,f who was the greatest of 



* Bijoy was the first name of Bijoy Krishna Goswami, the 
celebrated preacher, lecturer, writer and spiritual teacher 
(Acharya) of the Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta. 

f Ajamila was the name of a sinner who received salvation 
by repeating the name of the Lord (which was also the name 

23 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

sinners and committed all sorts of crimes, ob- 
tain salvation by repeating the Name of the 
Lord at the time of his death? 

Ramakrishna : Perhaps in his previous incar- 
nations Ajamila was righteous and performed 
a great many good deeds. Besides, it is said 
that he practised asceticism later in this life. 
It may also be said that at the last moment of 
his life the repetition of the Holy Name purified 
his heart and therefore he attained salvation. 
When an elephant is washed, immediately he 
throws dust and dirt over himself; but if he is 
kept in a clean stall after his bath, then he 
cannot cover himself with dirt. By the power 
of the Holy Name a man may be purified, but 
he may once more commit sinful acts because 
his mind is weak. He cannot promise that he- 
will never sin again. The water of the Ganges 
may wash away past sins, but there is a saying 
that sins perch on the top of trees. When a man 
comes out of the Ganges and stands under a 
tree, the sins drop over his shoulders and seize 
upon him; these old sins ride him, as it were. 
Therefore, repeat the Holy Name of the Lord, 



of his son) at the last moment of his life. The story of his 
life is given in the Puranas and is well known to the Hindus. 

24 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

but at the same time pray to Him that you 
may have true love and devotion for Him, and 
that your love for wealth, fame and the pleasures 
of the body may decrease because they are 
transitory, they last only until to-morrow. 

When there is true devotion and love, one 
can reach God by any of the sectarian religions. 
ah religions The Vaishnavas, the worshippers of 
lead to God. Krishna, w T ill attain God in the same 
way as the Saktas, the worshippers of the Divine 
Mother, or the followers of Vedanta, Those who 
belong to the Brahmo-Samaj,* the Mahometans 
and Christians, will also realize God through 
their respective religions. If you follow any 
of these paths with intense devotion, you will 
reach Him. If there be any mistake in the 
path chosen, He will correct the mistake in the 
long run. The man who wishes to see Jagan- 
nath f may go towards the South instead of 

* Brahmo Samaj is the name of the Hindu Unitarian 
church founded by Raja Rammohun Roy in 1830 ad. 
It has now various branches in India. The original organi- 
zation is now known as the Adi Samaj Keshab Chunder 
Sen w T as the founder of the sect called "New Dispensation," 
while Shivanath Sastri was the founder of the Sadharan 
Brahmo Samaj. 

t Jagannath literally means the ''Lord of the Universe." 
There is a great Temple at Puri in India where the Car festival 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

towards the North, but some one will sooner 
or later direct him in the right way and he will 
surely visit Jagannath in the end. The one 
thing necessary for realization is whole-hearted 
and whole-souled devotion to God. 

Vaishnavas, Mahometans, Christians and 
Hindus are all longing for the same God; but 
Many names they do not know that He who is 
of one God. Krishna is also Shiva, Divine Mother, 
Christ and Allah. God is one, but He has many 
names. The Substance is one, but is worshipped 
under different names according to the time, 
place and nationality of His worshippers. All 
the different Scriptures of the world speak of 
the same God. He who is described in the 
Vedas as Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss 
or Brahman, is also described in the Tantras * 
as Shiva, in the Puranas f as Krishna, in the 
Koran as Allah, and in the Bible as Christ. Yet 



takes place every year. Hence the common expression 
"The Car of Juggernath." 

* Tantras are sacred writings of the Shaiva and Sakta sects 
among the Hindus. 

t Puranas are the sacred Scriptures of the Hindus next in 
authority to the Vedas. There are 18 Great Puranas and 
many smaller Puranas. 

26 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the various sects quarrel with one another. The 
worshippers of Krishna, for instance, say that 
nothing can be achieved without worshipping 
Krishna; those who are devoted to the Divine 
Mother think that the worship of the Divine 
Mother is the only way to salvation; similarly, 
the Christians say that no one can reach heaven 
except through Christ ; He is the only way and 
Christianity is the only religion, all other reli- 
gions are false. This is narrow-mindedness. 
Bigotry is not "My religion is true while that of 
ri g ht - others is false," — this kind of belief 

is not right. It is not our business to correct the 
errors of other religions. He who has created 
the world will correct them in time. Our duty 
is in some way or other to realize Him. God 
can be reached through many paths; each of 
these sectarian religions points out a path which 
ultimately leads to Divinity. Yes, all religions 
are paths, but the paths are not God. I have 
seen all sects and all paths. I do not care for 
them any more People belonging to these 
sects quarrel so much! After trying all re- 
ligions, 1 have realized that God is the Whole 
and I am His part; that He is the Lord and I 
am His servant; again I realize, He is I; I am 

He 

27 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

People dispute among themselves, saying: 
"God is personal, with form. He cannot be 
God Personal impersonal and formless,"— like the 
and Vaishnavas who find fault with those 

impersonal. who worship the i mpe rsonal Brah- 
man. When realization comes, then all these 
questions are settled, He who has seen God 
can tell exactly what He is like. As Kavira * 
said: "God with form is my Mother, God with- 
out form is my Father. Whom shall I blame, 
whom shall I praise? The balance is even." 
He is with form, yet He is formless. He is 
personal, yet He is impersonal, and who can 
say what other aspects He may have! 

Four blind men went to see an elephant. 
One touched a leg of the elephant and said: 

Parable of the " The ele P hant is like a plHar." The 

elephant and second touched the trunk and said: 

the blind men. . The elephant is like a thick dub » 

The third touched the belly and said: "The 

* Kavira was a Hindu saint who lived between 1488 and 
1 51 2 A.D. Rising from the low caste of a weaver he became 
the founder of a Vaishnava sect called after his name "Kavira 
Panth." His teachings were so broad and universal that they 
were accepted by the Mahometans as well as the Hindus of all 
castes. Even now there are thousands among the lowerclasses 
of the Hindus who regard him as their spiritual master. 

28 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

elephant is like a huge jar," The fourth touched 
the ears and said: "The elephant is like a big 
winno wing-basket." Then they began to dis 
pute among themselves as to the figure of the 
elephant. A passer-by, seeing them thus quar- 
relling, asked them what it was about. They 
told him everything and begged him to settle 
the dispute. The man replied: "None of you 
has seen the elephant. The elephant is not like 
a pillar, its legs are like pillars. It is not like 
a big water-jar, its belly is like a water-jar. It 
is not like a winnowing -basket, its ears are like 
winnowing-baskets. It is not like a stout club, 
its trunk is like a club. The elephant is like 
the combination of all these." In the same 
manner do those sectarians quarrel who have 
seen only one aspect of the Deity. He alone 
who has seen God in all His aspects can settle 
all disputes. 

Again: Two persons were hotly disputing as 
to the color of a chameleon. One said: "The 
chameleon on that palm-tree is of 
rhamd e eon. the a red color." The other, contra- 
dicting him, replieol: "You are mis- 
taken, the chameleon is not red but blue." 
Not being able to settle the matter by argument, 
both went to the person who always lived under 

29 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that tree and had watched the chameleon in 
q,ll its phases of color. One of them asked him : 
"Sir, is not the chameleon on that tree red?" 
The person replied: "Yes, sir." The other 
disputant said: "What do you say? It is not 
red, it is blue." The person again humbly 
replied: "Yes, sir." The person knew that the 
chameleon is an animal which constantly changes 
color; thus it was that he said "yes" to both 
these conflicting statements. The Sat-chit- 
ananda (the Absolute Existence-Intelligence- 
Bliss) likewise has many forms. The devotee 
who has seen God in one aspect only, knows Him 
in that aspect alone. But he who has seen 
Him in manifold aspects is alone in a position 
to say with authority: "All these forms are of 
one God and God is multiform." He is formless 
and with form, and many are His forms which 
no one knows. 

God is not only personal and with form but 
He can take the form of Krishna, Christ or any 
Different other Incarnation. It is true that 
aspects of He manifests Himself in infinite 

Divinity. formg tQ fulfil the desires of His 

devotees. It is also true that He is formless 
Indivisible Existence-Intelligence-Bliss Absolute. 
The Vedas have described Him to be both 

3° 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

personal, with form and attributes, and imper- 
sonal, beyond all form and attributes. Do 
you know how this is? He is like the infinite 
ocean of Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss. 
As in the ocean intense cold will freeze a 
portion of the water into ice which 

Relation bc = 

tween God may float in various forms on the 
Personal and wa ter, similarly intense devotion 

Impersonal. . " 

(Bhakti) may condense a portion of 
Divinity and make it appear in different 
forms. The Personal God with form exists 
for the sake of His Bhaktas (dualistic devo- 
tees). When the sun of wisdom rises, the 
block of ice melts and becomes water once 
more; above, below, and on every side the 
Infinite Being pervades. Therefore there is a 
prayer in the Scriptures: "O Lord, Thou art 
personal with form. Thou art also impersonal 
and formless. Thou hast manifested Thyself 
in a human form and hast lived in our midst, 
but in the Vedas Thou art described as beyond 
speech and mind, Unspeakable, Imperceptible 
and Unthinkable." But it can be Said that 
for a certain class of Bhaktas He is eternally 
personal and always with form. There are 
places where the ice never melts, it becomes 
crystallized. 

31 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Kedar: * Bhagavan, it is also said in the 
Scriptures: "O Lord, Thou art beyond speech 
and mind, but I have described Thy Personal 
form only, do Thou forgive me for this offense." 

Bhagavan: Yes, God is with form and also 
formless. No one can say positively that He is 
so much and no more, To a devotee (Bhakta, 
or lover of God) the Lord appears as a Personal 
Being with form, but to one who has attained 
to the state of selfless Samadhi through the path 
of discrimination and knowledge He is the 
formless, Impersonal and Absolute Brahman. 

Night had fallen and the priests were moving 
the lights before the shrines to the accompani- 
Eveningat ment of bells, cymbals, and drums. 
the Temple. F r0 m the southern end of the garden 
was wafted the sweet music played by the 
Temple musicians upon flutes and other instru- 
ments — the music being carried far over the 
Ganges until it was lost. The breeze blowing 
from the south was gentle and fragrant with 
the sweet odor of many flowers. The moon 
was rising and the garden was soon bathed in 

* Kedar was a great dualistic Bhakta, or a lover of God. 
He belonged to the Vaishnava sect of Chaitanya. He re- 
garded Ramaknshna as the Incarnation of Divine Love. 

3 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

its soft silvery light. It seemed as if nature as 
well as man was rejoicing and holding herself 
in readiness for the sacred ceremony of the 
Arati (evening service). 

One by one the disciples began to take their 
leave. Mahendra * and his friend, who had 
been visiting the different temples, now wended 
their way back through the grand quadrangle 
to Sri Ramakrishna's chamber. Coming up to 
the door of the room, they noticed that it was 
closed. Near the door stood a maid-servant 
named Brinda. Mahendra spoke to her, 
saying: Well, my good woman, is the Holy 
Man in? 

Brinda: Yes, He is in His room. 

Mahendra: I suppose He has many books to 
read and study? 

Brinda: Oh dear no; not a single one. 
Everything, even the highest truths, is spoken 
by His tongue. His words are all inspired. 

* Mahendra is the first name of Babu Mahendra Nath 
Gupta. He was a professor of English literature in Cal- 
cutta University. He is a devoted householder disciple 
of Ramakrishna. He is the author of " Ramakrishna Ka- 
thamrita " (or The Nectar of the Sayings of Ramakrishna) in 
Bengali. It was he who kept a diary of the events which are 
now translated and embodied in the present volume. 

33 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Mahendra: Indeed! Is He now going through 
.he evening service? May we go in? Will you 
kindly tell Him of our anxiety to see Him? 

Brinda: Why, you may go in, my children. 
Go in and take your seats before Him. 

Thereupon they entered the room. No other 
people were there. Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna 
was alone, seated as in the afternoon on the 
platform beside His bed. Incense was burning 
and the doors were closed. Mahendra saluted 
the Bhagavan with folded hands. A mat was 
pointed out on the floor. At His word Mahen- 
dra and his friend took their seats upon it. 
The Bhagavan asked him: What is your name? 
Where do you live? What are you? What has 
brought you to Barahanagore? * 

Mahendra answered each of these questions, 
but he noticed that in the course of the con- 
versation Sri Ramakrishna's mind was fixed 
upon some other object, on which He was 
meditating. He was only half -conscious of the 
physical plane and His attitude resembled that 
of a man quietly seated rod in hand, intent on 
catching fish. When the float trembles and the 
fish bites, the man eagerly looks at the float, 

* Barahanagore is a suburb of Calcutta. 
34 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

grasping the rod with all his strength. He 
does not talk to anyone, but his whole mind is 
fixed upon the float. Such was the Bhagavan's 
concentration at this moment. Mahendra 
learned afterwards that this was the state of 
Samadhi or God-consciousness which invariably 
came over Him every day during the evening 
service. Very often in this state He would 
become absolutely unconscious of the external 
world. Mahendra, observing His abstraction, 
said to Sri Ramakrishna: I am afraid, Bha- 
gavan, that Thou wouldst prefer to go through 
the evening service (Sandhya) alone. In that 
case we will not disturb Thee any more, but 
will call some other time. 

Sri Ramakrishna replied: Oh no, you need 
not be in a hurry. 

But He was silent again for a time. He 
then opened His lips and said: Sandhya? 
Evening service? It is not that. 

A short while after, Mahendra saluted the 
Bhagavan, who in turn bade him good-bye, 
saying, "Come again. " 

35 



CHAPTER II 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA WITH HIS DISCIPLES AT 
THE TEMPLE 

The Bhagavan was in His room seated in 
His usual place on the small platform beside 
His bed. It was Sunday and the room was 
filled with a large number of devotees. Among 
them was a young college student only nine- 
teen years of age named Narendra, who after- 
wards became the world-renowned Swami 
Vivekananda. Everyone noticed even at that 
time that he was a sincere and earnest seeker 
after Truth and that his mind was above all 
worldly concerns. His eyes were shining with 
spiritual light, his face was aglow with innocence 
and simplicity, and his words were full of spirit- 
ual power. The Bhagavan was discoursing on 
worldly people who ridicule the worshippers 
of God. Especially addressing Narendra, He 
asked: What do you sav, Narendra? Worldly 

36 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

men will speak all manner of things against 
godly people, but they should act like the 
elephant. When an elephant passes through a 
public road, dogs run after him and bark at 
him ; but the elephant turns a deaf ear to their 
barking and goes on his own way. Suppose, 
my boy, people should speak ill of you behind 
your back, what would you think of them? 

Narendra: I would look upon them as a lot 
of barking dogs. 

The Bhagavan laughed and said: No, my 
friend, do not go so far as that. You should 
God dwells love everyone; no one is a stranger; 
in ail. q Q( ^ dwells in all beings ; without 

Him nothing can exist. When Prahlada* real- 
ized Him, the Lord asked him to crave a boon. 
Prahlada replied: "When I have seen Thee, 
what other boon do I need ? ' ' The Lord asked 
him again. He then prayed: "If Thou wishest 
to grant me a boon, do Thou forgive those who 
have persecuted me." Prahlada meant that 
by persecuting him they had persecuted the 
Lord dwelling within him. Know that God 
resides in all things animate and inanimate. 
Hence everything is an object of worship, be 

* See note page 128. 
37 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it men, beasts or birds, plants or minerals. 
In our relation with men all that we can do 
is to take heed to ourselves that we mix with 
good people and avoid bad company. It is 
tine, however, that God resides in bad people 
also, yes, even in a tiger; but surely it does not 
follow that we should embrace a tiger. It 
may be asked: Why should we run away from 
a tiger when God is dwelling in that form? 
To this the answer is that God abiding in our 
hearts directs us to run away from the tiger. 
Why should we not obey His will? 

In a certain forest there lived a sage who had 

a number of disciples. He taught his disciples 

the truth: "God dwells in all things. 

Parable of the Tir . , . fe 

disciple and Knowing this, you should bend your 
themadele- k nee before every obiect." One day 
a disciple went out into the forest 
for wood. On his way he saw a man riding 
a mad elephant and shouting: "Get out of the 
way, get out of the way! This is a mad ele- 
phant." The disciple, instead of running away, 
remembered his master's teaching and began 
to reason: "God is in the elephant as well 
as in me. God cannot be hurt by God, so 
why should I run away?" Thus thinking, he 
stood where he was and saluted the elephant 

38 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

as he came nearer. The driver (Mahoot) kept 
on shouting : ' ' Get out of the way ! ' ' but the 
disciple would not move, until he was snatched 
up by the mad elephant and dashed to one 
side. The poor boy, bruised and bleeding, lay 
on the ground unconscious. The sage, hearing 
of the accident, came with his other disciples 
to carry him home. When after some time 
the unfortunate pupil recovered consciousness, 
he described what had happened. The sage 
replied: My boy, it is true that God is manifest 
in everything. But if He is in the elephant, 
is He not equally manifest in the driver (Ma- 
hoot) ? Tell me why you did not pay heed to 
the warning of the driver? 

The Bhagavan continued: In the sacred 
Scriptures it is written, "God dwells in water"; 
but some water can be used for divine service, 
God in or for drinking purposes, some for 

everything. bathing or washing, while dirty water 
cannot be touched even. In the same manner, 
although God resides in all human beings, 
still there are good men and bad men, there 
are lovers of God and those who do not love 
God. We should recognize Divinity in all, but 
we should not mix with bad people or with 
those who do not love God. Our relation with 

39 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

them must not be very close. It is wise to 
avoid the company of such people. 

Narendra : * What attitude should we hold 
when wicked people come to disturb our peace 
or do actually offend us? 

Bhagavan : A person living in society should 
have a little Tamas (the spirit of resisting evil) 
Resistance of for purposes of self -protection. But 
evil - this is necessary only for outward 

show, its object being to prevent the wicked 
from doing harm to you. At the same time 
you should not do actual injury to another on 
the ground that he has done injury to you. 

There was a large venomous snake in a field. 
No one dared to go that way. One day a holy 
Parable of the man (Mahatma) passed by that road 
snake and the and the serpent ran after the sage to 
oyman. ^^ him. But when the snake ap- 
proached the holy man, he lost all his ferocity 
and was overpowered by the gentleness of the 
Yogi. Seeing him, the sage said: "Well, my 
friend, think you to bite me?" The snake was 
abashed and made no reply. At this the sage 
continued : " Hearken, friend ; do not injure any- 
one in future." The snake bowed and nodded 

* Narendra was a Sannyasin disciple of Ramakrishna. He 
was afterwards known as the Swami Vivekananda. 

40 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

assent. The sage went his way, and the 
snake entered his hole and thenceforward began 
to live a life of innocence, without attempt- 
ing to harm anyone. In a few days all the 
neighborhood concluded that the snake had 
lost his venom and was no longer dangerous; 
so everyone began to tease him. They pelted 
him with stones or dragged him mercilessly by 
the tail, and there was no end to his troubles. 
Fortunately the sage again passed that way, 
and seeing the bruised and battered condition 
of the snake, was very much moved and in- 
quired* the cause. "Holy Sir," the snake re- 
plied, "this is because I do not injure anyone 
after your advice. But alas! they are so 
merciless!" The sage smilingly said: "My 
friend, I simply advised you not to bite anyone; 
but I did not tell you not to frighten others. 
Although you should not bite any living creature, 
still you should keep people at a distance by 
hissing at them." And Sri Ramakrishna added : 
There is no harm in "hissing" at wicked men 
and at your enemies, showing that you can 
protect yourself and know how to resist evil. 
Only you must be careful not to pour your 
venom into the blood of your enemy. Resist 
not evil by causing evil in return. 

41 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

One of the devotees present said: But when 

a person is annoyed with me, Bhagavan, I 

feel unhappy. I feel that I have not 

Love for all. . . ■ ll \ 

been able to love everyone equally. 

Ramakrishna: When you feel that way, you 
should have a talk with that person and try 
to make peace with him. If you fail after 
such attempts, then you need not give it fur- 
ther thought. Take refuge with the Lord. 
Think upon Him. Do not let your mind be 
disturbed by any other thing. 

Devotee: Christ and Chaitanya have both 
taught us to love all mankind. 

Ramakrishna : You should love everyone be- 
cause God dwells in all beings. But to wicked 
people you should bow down at a distance. 
(To Bijoy, smiling) Is it true that people blame 
a true devotee you because you mix with those who 
always calm, believe in a Personal God with form ? 
A true devotee of God should possess absolute 
calmness and never be disturbed by the opinions 
of others. Like a blacksmith's anvil, he will 
endure all blows and persecutions and yet re- 
main firm in his faith and always the same. 
Company of Wicked people may say many things 
the wicked, about you and blame you ; but if you 
long for God, you should endure with patience. 

42 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

One can think on God even dwelling in the 
midst of wicked people. The sages of ancient 
times,* who lived in forests, could meditate on 
God although surrounded by tigers, bears, and 
other wild beasts. The nature of the wicked 
is like that of a tiger or bear. They attack 
the innocent and injure them. You should be 
especially cautious in coming in contact with 
the following: First, the wealthy. A person 
who possesses wealth and many attendants can 
easily do harm to another if he so desires. You 
should be very guarded in speaking with him; 
sometimes it may even be necessary to agree 
with him in his opinion. Second, a dog. When 
a dog barks at you, you must not run, but talk 
to him and quiet him. Third, a bull. When 
a bull chases you, you should always pacify him 
by talking to him. Fourth, a drunkard. If 
you make him angry, he will call you names 
and swear at you. You should address him 
as a dear relative, then he will be happy and 
obliging. 

When wicked people come to see me, I am 
very careful. The character of some of them 
is like that of a snake. They may bite you 
unawares.- It may take a long time and much 
discrimination to recover from the effects of 
•43 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that bite. Or you may get so angry at them 
that you will wish to take revenge. It is 
necessary, however, to keep occasionally the 
company of holy men. Through such associa- 
tion right discrimination will come. 

There are four classes of Jivas, or individual 
souls: First, Baddha, the bound; second, 
Mumukshu, the seeker after freedom; third, 
Mukta, the emancipated; and fourth, Nitya- 
mukta, the eternally free. This world is like a 

Fo r classes ne ^' ^ e sou ^ * s ^e fish, and the Lord 
of individual of the phenomenal world is the fisher- 
souls " man. When a fisherman draws in his 

net, some of the fish try to escape by rending 
the net, that is, they struggle for freedom. 
So are the souls of the second class, the Mumuk- 
shuSy the seekers after freedom. But among 
the fish that struggle, only a few escape. Simi- 
larly, a few souls only attain to freedom and 
they belong to the third class, the Muktas. 
There are some fish, however, that are naturally 
cautious and never fall into the net. Such are 
the souls of the fourth class, the Nitya-muktas , 
who are never caught in the net of the phenom- 
enal world, but who remain eternally free, like 
Narada* and others like him. Most of the fish, 
* See note page 168. 
44 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

however, fall into the net and have not the 
sense to know that they are going to die there. 
When caught, they try to run away and hide 
in the mud at the bottom by swimming with 
the net. They make no effort to get out of the 
net, but go deeper and deeper into the mud. 
These may be compared to the souls who are 
bound fast in the world. They are caught in 
the net, but they delude themselves by thinking 
that they are happy. They remain attached 
to worldliness. They plunge into the mire of 
worldly evils and are content, while those 
who are seeking after freedom or who are eman- 
cipated do not like worldliness and do not care 
for sense-pleasures. 

Those who are thus caught in the net of the 

world are the Baddha, or bound souls. No one 

can awaken them. They do not come 

Bound souls. . . . 

to their senses even alter receiving 
blow upon blow of misery, sorrow and inde- 
scribable suffering. The camel loves thorny 
bushes, and although his mouth bleeds when 
he eats them, still he does not cease to love 
them dearly and no one can keep him away 
from them. The bound souls may meet with 
great grief and misfortune, but after a few days 
they are just as they were before. The wife 

45 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

may die or become unchaste, the man will 
marry again; his son may die, he will be ex- 
tremely sorrowful, but he will soon forget him. 
The mother of the boy may be overwhelmed 
with grief for a short time, but in a few days 
she will once more be concerned for her personal 
appearance and will deck herself with jewels 
and finery. Such worldly people may be left 
paupers after marrying their sons and daughters, 
yet they will still beget children every year. 
They may lose their fortune by a lawsuit, but 
they will again go to the courts. They may 
not be able to support their children, to educate, 
feed, clothe, or house them properly, still they 
will continue to have more. They are like the 
snake with a musk-rat in its mouth. As the 
snake cannot swallow the rat because of its 
strong odor, neither can it throw it out because 
of its own bent teeth, so these bound souls, 
Baddhas, although they may occasionally feel 
that the world is unreal, can neither give it up 
nor can they fix their minds on the Reality 
of the universe. I once saw a relative of Keshab 
Chunder Sen, who was quite old, still playing 
cards as if the time for meditating on God had 
not come for him. . 

There is another sign of a Baddha, or worldly 
46 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

soul. If you remove him from the world and 
put him in a better place, he will pine away 
and die. He will work like a slave to support 
his family, and he will not hesitate to tell lies, 
to deceive or to flatter in order to earn his liveli- 
hood. He looks upon those who worship God 
or w^ho meditate on the Lord of the universe as 
insane. He never finds time or opportunity 
to think of spiritual subjects. Even at the hour 
of death he will think and talk of worldly 
things. Whatever thought is strongest in the 
minds of worldly people comes out at the time 
of death. If they become delirious, they rave 
of nothing but material objects. They may go 
to places of worship, but so long as their minds 
are attached to the world, worldly thoughts will 
rise at the last moment. As a parrot may be 
taught to utter the Lord's Holy Name, but when 
attacked by a cat, screams and. gives its natural 
cry ; so they may repeat the Holy Name of the 
Lord, but when attacked by death, the natural 
tendency of their minds will predominate. It 
is said in the Bhagavad Gita that the 
what thou future is determined by the thought 

thinkestthou . ' 

shait become, that is uppermost at the moment or 

death, and in the Purana there is a 

story that King Bharata was born as a deer 

47 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

because when he died, his mind was fixed on 
the thought of a deer. He who passes away 
thinking of God and meditating on Him, does 
not come back to this world. 

A devotee: Bhagavan, will a man who thinks 
of God, but who does not meditate on Him 
at the time of death, be born again? 

Sri Ramakrishna: An ordinary soul who has 
no faith in God may think of Him for a time, 
but easily forgets Him again and becomes 
attached to the world. If, however, he con- 
centrates his mind upon God at the last moment 
of his life, his heart and soul become purified 
and remain so even after death. People suffer 
Concentration so muc h because they have no faith 
and in God. In order to be able to think 

meditation. q£ God ^ the time Qf death we mugt 

prepare our mind by constant practice. The 
practice of meditation on God will create a 
tendency of mind to think of Him spontane- 
ously even at the last moment, 

A devotee: Bhagavan, what condition of 
mind is necessary for a worldly person to attain 
to freedom? 

Ramakrishna: If by the Grace of the Lord 
strong dispassion for worldly things arises in his 
mind, then such a person becomes free from 

48 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

all earthly attachment. What is this strong dis- 

passion? Let me tell you. Ordinary dispassion 

makes the mind think of the Lord 

Dispassion. . . . 

occasionally, but there is no longing 
in the heart. Strong dispassion, on the contrary, 
makes the mind dwell constantly on the Lord 
with the same intense longing as a mother feels 
for her only child. He who has strong dispassion 
does not want anything but the Lord. He looks 
at the world as a deep well and is always fearful 
lest he may fall into it. Earthly relations seem 
to him very distant. He does not seek their 
company. His whole heart and soul yearn for 
God. He does not think of his family, nor does 
he think of the morrow. He also possesses 
great spiritual force. 

Let me explain this to you by a parable: 
In a certain place there had been a long drought. 

Parable of the The farmers were irrigating their 
farmer and fields by canals, bringing water from 
a long distance. One farmer had 
great determination and force of character. 
One morning he made up his mind that he would 
continue to dig his canal until he had connected 
it with the fiver and brought the water to his 
field. He was so busy digging that he lost 
account of time. The hour for luncheon came 

49 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and passed. His wife called him to come home, 
wash and eat. "The luncheon is getting cold. 
Leave your work until to-morrow/' she urged. 
At first he paid no heed to her words, but when 
she repeated her request, he bade her go home 
and not disturb him any more. "You have no 
sense, " he said, "with this terrible drought 
we cannot grow anything. There will be no 
food for the children, the whole family will 
die of starvation. I have resolved that this 
very day I shall bring the water of the river 
to my field; then I shall think of washing and 
eating." Hearing this, his wife ran home. 
The farmer worked hard the whole day and 
toward evening he joined the canal to the 
river and sat on one side with great delight as 
he saw the stream of water running into his 
field. His mind was then peaceful and happy. 
He went home and called his wife, saying: " Now 
give me a little oil and fill my pipe," and he 
washed, ate a hearty dinner and enjoyed a 
sound sleep. This kind of determination and 
firmness of purpose must be at the back of 
strong dispass'on. Another farmer who was 
trying to bring water to his field was likewise 
called by his wife at the hour of the noonday 
meal. "It is getting late, come home, and wash 

5° 



GOSPEL OF kAMAKRlSHNA 

and eat," she said, and at once he dropped his 
spade and replied: "My dear, when you ask 
me to go, I must go." So his field remained 
dry. As a farmer cannot irrigate his field, so 
a devotee cannot attain to God without firm 
determination. 

When God is attained through such strong 
dispassion, all worldly attachment fades away. 
A householder may then live with his family, 
but he becomes unattached and there is no 
more danger for him. If there be two magnets, 
one very large and the other very small, which 
do you suppose will attract a piece of iron? 
The larger one of course. God is the greatest 
magnet. Compared to Him the attraction of 
the world is small and powerless. 

A devotee: Bhagavan, why are we so bound 
to the world that we cannot see God? 

Ramakrishna: The sense of "I " in us is the 

greatest obstacle in the path of God-vision. It 

covers the Truth. When " I " is dead, 

Sense of " I." 

all troubles cease. If by the mercy 
of the Lord one realizes "I am a non-doer, " 
instantly that man becomes emancipated in 
this life. This sense of " I " is like a thick cloud. 
As a small cloud can hide the glorious sun, so 
this cloud of "I " hides the glory of the Eternal 

5i 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Sun. If the cloud is dispersed by the mercy 
of a Guru, or spiritual master, the glory of the 
Infinite becomes visible. When Rama, the 
Divine Incarnation in a human form, was walk- 
ing in the forest, Lakshmana (the individual 
soul) , who was at a short distance, could not 
see Him because Sita or Maya, or the sense of 
"I," was vStanding between. Look at me. I 
cover my face with this handkerchief and you 
cannot see me; still my face is there. So God 
is the nearest of all, but because of the sense 
of "I" you do not see Him. The soul in its 
true nature is absolute Existence, Intelligence 
and Bliss, but on account of Maya or the sense 
of ''I," it has forgotten its real Self and has be- 
come entangled in the meshes of the various 
limitations of mind and body. 

Each attribute limits the soul and modifies 
its nature. He who dresses smartly will natu- 
rally sing love-songs, play cards and carry 
a cane, and such things will appeal to him. 
If you have a pencil in your hand, you will un- 
consciously scribble on anything; such is the 
Money is power of the pencil. Money has 
power. great power. When a man becomes 

wealthy his nature is entirely changed. He 
is a different being. A poor Brahmin, for in- 

5 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

stance, used to come here. He was very 
humble. He lived on the other side of the 
Ganges. One day as I was landing from a 
boat, I saw him sitting at the riverside. 
Seeing me, he shouted in a disrespectful tone, 
" Hello! is it you, my good fellow?" Imme- 
diately I understood by his manner that he 
had got hold of some money, otherwise he would 
not dare to address me thus. A toad had a 
Rupee in its hole. An elephant was coming 
that way and passed over the hole. The toad 
was very angry; it came out and was about to 
kick the elephant, saying: "How darest thou 
pass over me ? " Such is the power of wealth ! 
It makes one so egotistic. 

This sense of "I," however, vanishes at the 
approach of Divine wisdom, which leads to 
superconsciousness (Samadhi) and eventually 
to God-consciousness. But it is very difficult 

Seven stages to ac q uire tnis Divine wisdom. It 
of spiritual is said in the Vedas that when the 
mind reaches the seventh stage of 
spiritual evolution, the soul enters into Samadhi 
and instantly its sense of "I " disappears. The 
mind naturally dwells in the first three stages, 
the realm of worldly tendencies and animal 
propensities, and becomes attached to lust and 

53 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

wealth. When the mind dwells in the purified 
heart, spiritual light is perceived by the soul, 
At that time the soul exclaims : ' ' What is this ! 
What is this!" When it rises near the throat 
and remains there, the devotee loves to hear 
and speak of God. When the mind rises still 
higher, near the space between the eyebrows, 
it beholds the vision of the Infinite Being, 
whose nature is absolute Existence-Intelli- 
gence-Bliss. The soul then desires to touch 
and embrace that Being, but fails. As a 
light within a lantern can be seen but can- 
not be touched from outside, so the soul 
beholds the vision but cannot lay hold on it. 
cannot enter into it, cannot become one 
with it. In the seventh stage., however, the 
mind is bereft of the sense of "I," enters into 
God-consciousness and realizes its oneness with 
the Infinite. 

Devotee: Bhagavan, what happens after 
reaching the seventh stage when Divine wisdom 
comes? What does the man see? 

Ramakrishna: It cannot be described by 
words. In the seventh stage when the mind 
goes into its causal form, Samadhi comes and 
what happens then no one can tell. 

This sense of "I" which makes one worldly 
54 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and attached to lust and wealth is the cause 
Difference °^ bondage. The difference between 
between soul the Supreme and the individual soul 
and God. ^ created by this sense of "I" 
which stands between. If you hold a stick 
on the surface of a stream, the w^ater will 
appear to be divided into two parts, but in 
reality the water is one. It appears as two 
because of the stick. The sense of "I" may 
be compared to this stick. Remove this limit- 
ing adjunct and the current will be one and 
unbroken. What is this sense of "I" which 
clings to man? That which says: "I am this, 
I am that. I possess so much wealth. I am 
great and powerful; who is greater than I?" 
If a thief has stolen ten Rupees and been de- 
tected, the owner takes his money first, then 
beats him, then hands him over to the police 
and finally puts him in jail. The worldly 
The worldly "I" says : ' 'Doesn't he know that he 
" L " stole ten Rupees which belonged 

to me ? How dared he ? " 

Devotee: Bhagavan, if we cannot get rid of 
worldliness except by losing the sense of ''I 5 ' 
in Samadhi, is it not better to follow the path 
of wisdom which leads to Samadhi, since in the 
path, of devotion the sense of "I" still remains? 

55 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Ramakrishna: Very few can get rid of the 
sense of "I" through Samadhi. It generally 
Difficult to be clings to us. We may discriminate 
rid of"!." a thousand times, but the sense of 
"I" is bound to return again and again. You 
may cut the branches of a fig-tree to-day, but 
to-morrow you will see that new twigs are 
sprouting. If this sense of "I" will not leave, 
then let it stay as the servant of God. "0 
God! Thou art my Lord, I am Thy servant!" 
Think in this way: "I am His servant, I am His 
Servant " I ■ Bhakta, devotee." There is no harm 
ofaBhakta. j n t hi s kind of "I." Sweet things 
cause dyspepsia and acidity, but crystallized 
sugar-candy is harmless. The path of wisdom 
is very difficult. It cannot be followed so long 
as the sense of "I " is connected with the body. 
In this age the consciousness of the body and 
the sense of "I" cannot be overcome easily. 
But in the path of devotion, through prayer 
and the repetition of His Holy Name with ex- 
treme longing, God can be reached without fail. 

Devotee: Bhagavan, dost Thou teach us to 
renounce the worldly "I" an( i no "t the sense 
of the servant "I"? 

Ramakrishna: Yes, the servant "I" or "I 
am the servant of God," "I am His devotee," 

56 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

this egoism is not bad but on the contrary it 
helps us to realize God. 

Devotee: Bhagavan, does he who has the 
sense of the servant "I" possess passion and 
anger ? 

Ramakrishna : If this attitude of a servant 
be genuine and perfect, then passion and anger 
will drop off leaving only a scar in the mind. 
This "I" of a Bhakta or devotee does no harm 
to any living creature. It is like a sword which, 
after touching the Philosopher's Stone, is turned 
to gold. The sword retains the same form but 
it cannot cut or injure anyone. The dry leaves 
of the cocoanut-tree drop off in the wind, leaving 
a mark on the trunk; that mark proves that 
there was a leaf there at one time. Similarly, 
the scar of the sense of "I" remains in the 
mind of one who has realized God, but his whole 
nature is transformed into that of an innocent 
child. The child's sense of "I" is not attached 
to worldly objects. He may like a thing at one 
moment, but the next moment he may dislike 
it. You can take from him an object 

A child's "I," . . 

of great value by giving him a 
doll worth a penny. To a child everyone is 
equal, there is none greater or smaller. There- 
fore a child has no sense of caste or creed. If his 

57 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

mother says: "He is your brother," however 
low his caste may be, the child will sit with 
him and eat with him without feeling dislike or 
difference of any kind. 

Some Bhaktas after attaining to Samadhi or 
God-consciousness, when they return, retain 
the sense of "I" as "I am His servant, I am 
His devotee." They do not lose the sense of 
"I" entirely but keep a small portion of it to 
repeat the Holy Name of the Lord, to sing His 
praises, to love and serve Him. Again, those 
who constantly practise this sense of "servant 
I" eventually reach the Supreme Lord. This 
is the path of Bhakti or devotion. But true 
True devotion devotion is very rare. True devo- 
and love. ^ion j ea( } s to intense love for God ; 
and when that intense love comes, the Divine 
Being is not very far. In that intense love the 
sense of worldliness is wiped out entirely and 
the whole heart and soul rest upon nothing 
but the Lord of the universe. Some are born 
with this intense love for God ; it is natural with 
them. Its expression is to be found even in 
their childhood. At that tender age even, they 
cry for God. There are many examples of such 
born Bhaktas like Prahlada and others. Ordi- 
nary devotion which is confined by scriptural 

58 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

laws of sacrifice and worship is preparatory. 
As in hot weather one fans oneself for a breath 
of air so long as the breeze is not blowing, but 
when the breeze springs trp, the fan*is no longer 
needed; so when the breeze of intense love 
begins to blow in the soul, all devotional exer- 
cises like repetition of the Name of the Lord, 
sacrifice, prayers and asceticism become un- 
necessary. Devotion without intense love is 
the sign of unripe Bhakti. When it ripens, it 
leads into Divine Love, which is perfect and 
which brings the highest realization. 

A disciple: Bhagavan, how can God be 
realized? 

Ramakrishna: God can be realized by the 

purified heart alone. Ordinarily the mind is 

stained with worldliness. The mind 

Pure heart. .. _. 

may be compared to a needle. If a 
needle be covered with thick mud, it is not 
God is like attracted by the magnet ; but when 
a magnet ^he mud is washed off, the magnet 
attracts it. Similarly, when the mind is covered 
with the mud of worldliness, it does not feel 
the attraction of the Lord ; but whosoever re- 
Powerof pents, saying: "0. Lord, I shall 
repentance, never again commit such an act, 1 ' 
and sheds tears of true repentance, washes off 

59 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

all impurities and the magnet of the Lord 
then attracts the needle of the mind. Instantly 
superconsciousness comes and is followed by 
God- vision. 

A man may make thousands of attempts, but 
nothing can be accomplished without the mercy 
The mercy of of the Lord. Without His mercy no 
the Lord. one can see Him. Nor is it an easy 
thing to obtain His mercy. The egotistic sense 
of ''I" which says: "I am the doer," must be 
abandoned entirely before the Divine mercy 
can be felt. So long as there is a steward in 
charge of the storehouse, if any come to the 
master and beg him, saying: "Master, wilt 
thou not come to the storehouse and give me 
this thing?" he will reply: "The steward is 
there, what need have I to go?" In like 
manner, so long as the ego thinks of himself 
as the "doer" and the master of the store- 
house of the heart, the Real Master does not 
enter, there. The mercy of the Lord is the 
surest way to God-vision. He is the sun of 
wisdom. A single ray of this Eternal Sun il- 
lumines this world, and by that light we are con- 
God, the Sun scious of ourselves and of one another 
of wisdom. an( j we aC q U i re various kinds of 

knowledge. If He turns that light towards His 

60 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

own face, then He becomes visible to His Bhakta 
or devotee. In the night the watchman goes 
from place to place holding in his hand the 
illustration of bull's-eye lantern. By its light he 
a buirs=eye sees everyone's face and people see 
each other, but no one can see him. 
If any onewishes to see the watchman, he 
must beg him to turn the light towards himself. 
Similarly, he who wishes to see the Lord must 
pray to Him thus: "O Lord, in Thy mercy do 
Thou turn the light of Thy wisdom towards 
Thine own face that I may behold Thee." If 
there be no light in a house, that is the sign of 
extreme poverty. Therefore one must light the 
lamp of wisdom within the heart. "O mind, 
why dost thou not see the face of the Divine 
Mother by lighting the lamp of wisdom in the 
chamber of the soul!" 

61 



CHAPTER III 



THE BHAGAVAN WITH CERTAIN OF HIS 
HOUSEHOLDER DISCIPLES 

One day in winter a certain householder 
disciple, who was a college professor, came to 
see the Bhagavan. Sri Ramakrishna was seated 
on the southern veranda of His room, and He 
was smiling. After a short conversation He 
asked: "Do you prefer to meditate on God 
n a • * ~ with form or without form?'' The 

God is form- 

less and disciple hesitated, and answered: "I 

with form. pre f er to meditate upon God as the 
formless Being rather than as a Being with 
form." The Bhagavan replied: "That is good. 
There is no harm in looking at Him from this 
or the other point of view. Yes, to think of 
Him as the formless Being is quite right. But 
do not go away with the idea that that alone 

is true and that all else is false. Meditating 

62 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

upon Him as a Being with form is equally right. 
You, however, must hold on to your particular 
conception of God until you have realized and 
seen God." 

The disciple asked: "Bhagavan, one may 
believe that God is with form, but surely He is 
image not in the earthen images that are 

worship. worshipped?" Sri Ramakrishna re- 

plied: "My dear sir, why do you say earthen 
images? The image of the Divine Being is 
made of the spirit." The disciple could not 
understand the meaning of this, but answered: 
"Yet should it not be one's duty to make clear 
to those who worship images that God is not 
the same as the images and that at the time 
of worship they should think of God Himself 
and not of the image made of clay?" The 
Bhagavan said: "The Lord of the universe 
teaches mankind. He who has made the sun 
and moon, men and brutes ; He who has created 
things for them to live upon, parents to tend 
and rear them; He who has done so many 
things will surely do something to bring them 
to the light. The Lord dwells in the temple 
of the human body. He knows our innermost 
thoughts. If there is anything wrong in image 
worship, does He not know that all worship is 

63 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

meant for Him? He will be pleased to accept 
it knowing that it is for Him. Why should you 
worry yourself about things which are beyond 
your reach? Try to realize God and love Him. 
This is your first duty. 

"You speak of images made of clay. Well, 
there often comes a necessity for worshipping 
such images and symbols. In Vedanta it is 
said, the absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss 
pervades the universe and manifests itself 
through all forms. What harm is done by 
worshipping the Absolute through images and 
symbols? We see little girls with their dolls. 
How long do they play with them ? So long as 
they are not married. After marriage they put 
away those dolls. Similarly, one needs images 
and symbols so long as God is not realized in 
His true form. It is God Himself who has pro- 
vided these various forms of worship. The 
Master of the universe has done all this to suit 
different men in different stages, of spiritual 
growth and knowledge. The mother so ar- 
ranges the food for her children that each one 
gets what is best for him. Suppose a mother 
has five children with one fish to cook for all. 
She will make different dishes of it that she may 
give to each just what suits him, — the rich 

64 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

polao for one, soup for another, fried fish for a 
third, fish with sour tamarind for a fourth, 
and so on, exactly according to the power of 
digestion of each. Do you now under- 
stand?" 

The disciple replied: "Yes, Bhagavan, now 
I do. But, Revered Sir, how can one fix one's 
mind on God?" 

Sri Ramakrishna: To that end one must al- 
ways sing forth the Holy Name of God and talk 
How to fix without ceasing of His glory and at- 
one'smind tributes. Then one must seek the 
company of holy men. One must 
from time to time visit the Lord's devotees or 
those who have given up attachment to the 
things of the world for the sake of the Lord. 
It is, however, difficult to fix one's mind upon 
God in the midst of worldly cares and anxieties ; 
hence the necessity of going into solitude now 
and again with a view to meditating on Him. 
In the first stage of one's spiritual life one can- 
not do without solitude. When plants are 
Solitude young, they stand in need of fences 

necessary. around them for their protection; 
otherwise goats and cattle will destroy them. 
The depth of the heart, the retired corner, and 
the forest are the three places for meditation. 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

One should also practise discrimination. One 
should discriminate between the Real and the 
unreal, between matter and spirit. It is thus 
that one will shake off one's love for the things 
of the world and attachment to sensual pleasures, 
wealth, fame, power. 

Turning to Bijoy, who had come in, the Bha- 
gavan continued.: Shivanath, the leader of the 
Brahmo Samaj, has great cares, he has to edit 
a newspaper and do various other works In 
attending to worldly affairs, one naturally loses 
peace of mind and is overwhelmed with worries 
Avadhuta and anxieties. It is said in the Bha- 
and a kite, gavat that Avadhuta * made twenty- 
four Gurus. The kite was one of them. In a 
certain place some fishermen were catching fish, 
a kite swooped down and snatched a fish. See- 
ing the kite with the fish in its claw, hundreds of 
crows flew after him and began to caw, making 
a great noise. In whatever direction the kite 
flew, the crows followed. When he flew to the 

* "Avadhuta" is a Sanskrit title which is given to one who 
has become the absolute master of nature and who has 
realized God. Such a great soul was Dattatreya. In the 
Puranas he is called the Avadhuta. He was also the author 
of the "Avadhuta Gita," a famous work on the Advaita 
Vedanta. 

66 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

south, they pursued him; when he flew to the 
north, they were after him, and he found no 
peace in any direction. At last the kite dropped 
the fish. Then the crows flew after the fish 
and the kite rested calmly on the branch of a 
high tree. He thought within himself: ''That 
fish was the cause of all this trouble. Now that 
I no longer have it, I am happy and in perfect 
peace. " The Avadhuta learned from this kite 
that as long as a man is attached to worldly 
objects, so long he has toil, cares, aiudety, unrest 
and unhappiness. When attachment is gone, 
all works end, and then comes peace, ,But work 
without attachment is good; it does not bring 
unrest. 

It is very difficult, however, to work and re- 
main unattached. A few only can accomplish 
it. Those who have attained to God-conscious- 
ness, like the sage Narada, work for the good 
of humanity. Avadhuta made another Guru 
Avadhuta — a tee. What trouble a bee takes 
and a bee. to co llect honey! But it is not for 
its own use; some one else comes and takes 
the honey from the comb. The Avadhuta 
learned from the bee that it is not wise to 
collect anything. Truly spiritual men should 
depend absolutelv upon God and should not 

67 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

desire to possess anything. But this is not 
possible for householders. They will have to 
support their families and therefore they should 
gather and possess. A fowl does not gather 
into barns, but when it has a number of young 
ones, then it brings food for them in its bill. 

Perform all your duties with your mind always 
fixed on God. As for your parents, wife and 
children, serve them as your own, but always 
Practice remember they do not belong to you, 

ofnon= that they are the children of God. 

attachment. y^ ^ ^ & chiM Qf Qod and ^^ 

own people are those who love God. The tor- 
toise moves about in the water in quest of 
food; where do you think her mind is? On 
the water's edge where her eggs are laid. In 
the same manner you may go about in the 
world, but take good care that your mind 
always -rests upon the hallowed feet of the 
Lord. 

Suppose you have not acquired true love for 
the Lord? If in this state you enter the world, 
then you will surely get entangled. Misfortune, 
grief, misery, sorrow, suffering and the various 
diseases of the body will disturb the balance 
of your mind; and the more you will throw 
yourself into the affairs of the world and trouble 

68 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

yourself about worldly matters, the more your 
attachment to the world will be increased. 
Rub your hand with oil if you desire to break 
open the jackfruit, else the milky exudation of 
the fruit will stick to your hands. First rub 
your soul with the oil of love and devotion to 
the Lord, then you may come in contact with 
the affairs of the world. But to this end 
Need of solitude is the one thing needful. If 

solitude. y OU wan t butter, you must curdle the 

milk and set it in a place where no one can 
disturb it; otherwise the curd will not stand. 
Then churn it and the butter will rise. Simi- 
larly the neophyte should sit in solitude and 
not be disturbed by worldly-minded people; 
then through the churning of the settled mind 
by the practice of meditation the butter of 
Divine Love will be acquired. If you give your 
mind to God in solitude, you will obtain the 
spirit of true renunciation and absolute devo- 
tion. If you give the same mind to the world, 
it will grow worldly and think of woman and 
gold. 

The world may be likened to water, and the 
mind to milk. Pure milk once mixed with 
water cannot be separated from it; but if it is 
first turned into butter and then placed in water, 

69 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it can remain separate. Let the milk of your 
mind be turned into the butter of Divine Love 
by means of religious practices in solitude. 
The mind then will never get mixed with the 
water of worldliness, but will rise above and 
remain unattached to the world. Having at- 
tained true knowledge and devotion the mind 
will stand apart from the world. 

Along with this, practise discrimination. 
"Lust and gold" are unreal; God is the one 
Lust and gold Reality. What uses has money? 
unreal. j^ can gj ve one food, clothes, house, 

the luxuries and comforts of life, but it cannot 
bring spiritual perfection or God-vision. There- 
fore the acquisition of wealth should not be the 
highest end and aim of life. In this manner 
you should discriminate. Similarly by dis- 
crimination you will overcome your attachment 
to personal beauty. Think what the body of 
a beautiful woman is made of. Like all bodies 
it is of flesh and blood, skin and bones, fat and 
marrow, etc. The wonder is that man loses 
sight of God and gives his mind purely to such 
transitory objects of sense. 

The disciple asked: "Bhagavan, is it possible 
to see God?" 

Sri Ramakrishna: Certainly. The following 
70 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

are some of the means of seeing God : Going from 
Means of time to time into solitude; singing 
God-vision. £0^^ jjis name and His attributes; 
discrimination. 

The disciple: Bhagavan, what state of mind 
leads to God-vision ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: Cry to God with a yearning 
heart and then you will see Him. People will 
shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their 
wife or children; they will be carried away by 
a stream of their own tears for the sake of 
money; but who sheds a tear for God? Cry 
for Him, not for show, but with a longing and 
yearning heart. The rosy light of the dawn 
comes before the rising sun; likewise a longing 
and yearning heart is the sign of God-vision that 
comes after. 

Extreme longing is the surest way to God- 
vision. Through extreme longing the mind 
remains fixed on the Supreme Being. One 
should have faith like that of an innocent child 
and such longing as a child has when it wants 
to see its mother. There was a boy named 
Jatila. He used to go to school alone through 
the woods. Often he felt lonely and afraid. 
He told his mother about it and she said to 
him; "Why art thou fearful, my child? Thou 

71 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

must call Krishna whenever thou art frightened/' 
"Who is Krishna, mother?" the boy asked. 
The mother answered: "Krishna is thy 
brother." After that when Jatila was passing 
Power of true through the woods alone and felt 
faith and true frightened, he called aloud, "Brother 
longing. Krishna!" When no one came, he 

cried again: "O Brother Krishna, where art 
thou? Come to me and protect me; I am 
frightened." Hearing the call of this faithful 
child, Krishna could no longer remain away. 
He appeared in the form of a young boy and 
said: "Here am I, thy brother! Why art thou 
frightened? Come with me, I will take thee 
to school." Then having escorted him to 
school, Lord Krishna said to him: "I will come 
to thee whenever thou callest me; do not be 
afraid." Such is the power of true faith and 
true longing. 

You can see God if your love for Him be as 
strong as the strength of these three attachments 
How to love put together : namely, the attachment 
God - of a miser to his wealth, that of a 

mother to her new-born child, and that of a 
chaste wife to her husband. 

To see God one must love Him with the whole 
heart and soul. One must make one's prayers 

72 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

! 

reach the Divine Mother. Absolute self -resig- 
nation to the will of the Divine Mother is the 
surest way to God- vision. As the kitten resigns 
itself to the will of its mother, so a devotee 
shall resign himself to the will of the Divine 
Mother. The kitten knows nothing more than 
to cry "Mew, mew," and the mother-cat may 
keep her young one on the bare floor of the 
kitchen or on the downy bed of the householder. 
The kitten is always contented. Similarly the 
true devotee should always cry unto the Divine 
Mother and be contented with whatever She 
wishes to do with him. 

God-consciousness does not come so long as 
there are three things in the heart, — shame, 
Fetters of hatred and fear. These three and 
the soul. caste pride are the fetters of the soul. 
When these fetters are broken, freedom is at- 
tained. Bound by fetters is Jiva (the ego), 
free from fetters is Shiva (God). 

Every man has certain debts to pay, — a debt 
to the Divine Spirit, a debt to the sages, debt 
to mother, to father, to the wife. No man can 
renounce everything without paying off these 
debts. But if his soul be intoxicated with 
Divine Love and become mad after God, then 
he is free from all duties and debts. Then who 

73 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is his father, who is his mother and who is his 
wife? He behaves like a madman who is free 
Madness of from all bondage and who has no duty 
Divine Love. to perform. Do you know what that 
madness of Divine Love is? In that state one 
forgets the world and becomes unconscious of 
one's own body which is so dear to one. Chai- 
tanya Deva possessed this madness of ecstasy. 
He had neither hunger, nor thirst, nor sleep, 
nor consciousness of his physical form. The 
meaning of the word Chaitanya is " indivisible 
-and absolute intelligence." Vaishnava Charan 
used to say that Chaitanya Deva, the Incarna- 
tion of Divine Love, was like a bubble on the 
ocean of that Absolute Intelligence. 

Divine Love is the rarest thing in the world. 
He who can love God as a devoted wife loves 
Divine Love her husband, attains to Divine Love. 
and ecstasy. p ure love is difficult to acquire. In 
pure love the whole heart and soul must be 
absorbed in God. Then will come ecstasy. In 
ecstasy a man remains dumb with wonder. 
Outward breathing stops entirely, but inward 
breathing continues; as when aiming a gun, 
a man remains speechless and without breath- 
ing. In Divine Love one entirely forgets the 
external world with all its charms and attrac- 

74 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

tions; even one's own body, which is so dear 
to one, is easily forgotten. In ecstasy, when 
the breathing stops, the whole mind remains 
absolutely fixed upon the Supreme. All nerve 
currents run upward with tremendous force 
and the result is Samadhi or God-consciousness. 
Those who are mere scholars (Pandits) and have 
not attained Divine Love, confound the minds 
of others. 

Some people are proud of their wealth, their 
fame and social position, but these 

Pride. . . 

things are transitory. None can take 
them away after death. It is not good to be 
proud of wealth. You may say, " I am wealthy," 
but then there are millionaires, multimillionaires, 
and so on. In the evening fireflies think that 
they are lighting the world; but when the 
stars begin to shine, their pride is subdued. 
The stars in turn think that they are lighting 
the world, but when the moon shines, the stars 
are put to shame. The moon, too, believes that 
her light illumines everything ; but lo ! the dawn 
appears and the rising sun effaces the light of 
the moon. If wealthy people thought of these 
things, they would no longer be proud of their 
wealth. 

A householder": Revered Sir, we are house- 
75 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

holders; please give us some further instruc- 
tions. 

Sri Ramakrishna : First know God, then per- 
form the duties of a householder. 

Householder: Revered Sir, is this world un- 
real? 

Sri Ramakrishna: So long as a man does not 
realize God, so long it is real; because at that 
The world time he makes mistakes and through 
unreal. self-delusion says: "Me and mine." 

Being fettered by this self-delusion, he drowns 
in the sea of lust and worldliness, and be- 
comes so blinded by ignorance that he cannot 
see the way out. You yourself can notice how 
transitory the world is. Look at this house; 
how many people have come and gone; how 
many people have been born and have died in 
it ! Now it exists, now it does not ; it is ephem- 
eral. Those whom you call your own will vanish 
when your eyes are closed. If you have no one 
in the household, still you are bound and cannot 
go anywhere because of some distant relative. 
The way is open, but the fish cannot escape 
from the net. The silkworm makes its own 
cocoon, but does not know how to get out and 
consequently dies in it. 

A householder should take care of his children, 
76 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

but at the same time he should think of them 
as Baby Krishna, or as children of 
holder should God. Serve your father as God, and 
live in the y 0ur mo ther as Divine Mother. After 
realizing God, if a man lives with 
his wife, he has no physical relation with her. 
Both live like Bhaktas or true devotees. They 
talk of spiritual subjects and spend their 
time in thinking of God and in caring for His 
Bhaktas. They serve God who dwells in all beings. 

Householder : But, Revered Sir, we do not find 
any such husbands and wives. 

Ramakrishna: Yes, there are some, but they 
are very rare. Worldly people do not easily 
recognize them. But in order to live like this 
both must be spiritual. If both enjoy Divine 
Love, then such a life is possible; otherwise 
there will be no harmony, but discord and 
trouble betw r een husband and wife. Perhaps 
the wife will complain, saying: "Why did I 
marry this man! What pleasure does he give 
me? He simply sits quietly and thinks of God. 
He is losing his mind." 

A devotee: These are some of the obstacles; 
but there may be others. The children may be 
disobedient or may be diseased. Then, Revered 
Sir, what is to be done? 

77 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Ramakrishna : It is very difficult for a house- 
holder to practise devotion. There are many 
obstacles. You all know them very well, — 
disease, sorrow, poverty, disharmony with the 
wife, disobedience and evil tendencies in the 
children; but there is a way out of it. One 
should occasionally live in solitude and pray 
and struggle hard to attain to God. 

A householder: Revered Sir, is it necessary 
to leave one/s home? 

Ramakrishna : Not for good ; but occasionally 
when you find opportunity, for a day or two, 
leaving behind responsibility, care and anxiety. 
But during this time you should not mix with 
worldly people or think of worldly affairs. 
Either live alone, or in the company of some 
saint or holy man. 

Householder: Revered Sir, how can we know 
or recognize a saint? 

Ramakrishna : He is a saint whose heart, soul, 
and inner nature have turned towards God; 
How to recog- he who has renounced woman and 
nize a saint. we alth. A saint does not look at 
women with the eye of desire; if he comes near 
a woman, he sees the Divine Mother in her and 
worships her. His thoughts are always on God 
and his words are of Him. He sees God every- 

78 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

where and knows that by serving others, he 
serves Him. These are some of the outward 
signs of a saint. 

Householder: Revered Sir, is it necessary to 
remain long in solitude? 

Ramakrishna: Until right discrimination is 
acquired. 

Householder: Revered Sir, what is right dis- 
crimination ? 

Ramakrishna: God is Truth, the world is un- 
truth; this is discrimination. Truth means that 
Right discrimi= which is unchangeable and perma- 
nation. nent, and untruth is that which is 

changeable and transitory. He who has right 
discrimination knows that God alone is the 
Reality ; all other things are unreal. When right 
discrimination comes, then rises intense desire 
to know God. As long as one loves untruth, 
such as the pleasures and comforts of the body, 
fame, honor and wealth, so long one does not 
desire to know God, the Truth. Right dis- 
crimination between Truth and untruth leads 
one to search after God. 

Another householder devotee: Bhagavan, we 
have heard that Thou hast attained to ecstasy 
and God-consciousness; wilt Thou please explain 
when and how such a state comes? 

79 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Ramakrishna : Ecstasy does not come to one 
who has not realized God. When a fish rises 
from deep water, it disturbs the sur- 
face of the water, and the larger the 
fish, the greater the disturbance. Therefore, a 
person in the state of ecstasy sometimes laughs, 
sometimes weeps, sometimes sings, sometimes 
dances, but one cannot remain in that state of 
ecstasy for a long time. 

Householder devotee: Bhagavan, we have 
heard that Thou hast seen God. If this be 
true, please make us see Him also. 

Ramakrishna: Everything depends upon the 
will of the Lord. What can man do? One 
may repeat His Holy Name, but sometimes 
tears flow and sometimes not. At the time of 
meditation, one day you may have perfect con- 
centration and another day you will not be able 
to fix your mind at all. Work is necessary for 
w kneces- God-vision. Once I was passing by 
saryfor a pool, the surface of which was 

God=vfsion. CQvered by a thick scum; J saw a 

poor man pushing the scum to one side to look 
at the water. This showed me that if you wish 
to see the water, you must push aside the scum. 
That act of pushing is like the work which 
removes all the impurities of the heart. Then 

80 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

God is visible. Concentration, meditation, repe- 
tition of the Name of the Lord, charitable works, 
self-sacrifice, these works will remove the scum 
of ignorance which covers the water of Divinity 
in the pool of the heart. 

Mahima,* who had joined the group of devo- 
tees, exclaimed: Oh yes, Bhagavan, such works 
are absolutely necessary. Tireless labor is 
needed to attain great results. How much we 
must study! Innumerable are the sciences, 
Scriptures and philosophies. 

Ramakrishna: How much can you study? 
What results can you get by mere discrimina- 
tion? First try to realize God. Have faith in 
the words of your Guru, and perform some good 
work. If you have not found a Guru, a true 
spiritual master, earnestly pray to God. He 
will show you what He is like. What can you 
know by reading books? Before you enter a 
market-place, you can hear only a loud confused 
uproar; but when you go near, all confusion 
will vanish and you will distinguish what each 

* Mahima was the first name of a Brahmin Zemindar and 
a scholar who was known as Mahima Charan Chuckravarti. 
He lived the life of a pure and spiritual householder and 
regarded Ramakrishna as the greatest Hindu sage of the 
age. 

81 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

one is calling. Before you reach the shore, 
you hear the roar of the waves; but when you 
come near, you see vessels, sea-gulls, birds, and 
you can count the waves. One cannot realize 
Divinity by reading books. There is a vast 
Book knowi= diff erence between book knowledge 
edge and and realization. After realization 
realization. ^ k 00 k s> sciences and Scriptures 
seem to be like worthless straw. It is necessary 
first to make acquaintance with the landlord. 
Why are you so anxious to know beforehand how 
many houses, how many gardens, how many 
stocks and bonds he possesses? If you ask the 
servants, they will not tell you; nor will they 
notice you. But if you can once become ac- 
quainted with the landlord, by whatever means, 
you will learn about his possessions in a moment, 
and the servants then will bow down to you and 
honor you. 

A devotee: Bhagavan, how can one make 
acquaintance with the Landlord? 

Ramakrishna: For that, I say, work is neces- 
sary. What is the use of sitting quietly and 
saying, "God exists"? If you merely sit on 
the shore of a lake and say: "There are fish in 
this lake," will you catch any? Go and get the 
things necessary for fishing, get a rod and line 

82 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and bait and throw some lure in the water. 
Then from the deep water the fish will rise 
and come nearer, and you will be able to see 
and catch them. You wish me to show you 
God while you sit quietly by, without making 
the least effort . How unreasonable ! You would 
have me set the curds, churn the butter, and 
hold it before your mouths. You ask me to 
catch the fish and place it in your hands. How 
unreasonable ! If a man desires to see the King 
in his palace, he will have to go to the palace 
and pass through all the gates; but if after 
entering the outermost gate he exclaims, 
r< Where is the King?" he will not find him. 
He must go on through the seven gates, then 
he will see the King. 

Mahima: Bhagavan, by what kind of work 
can God be attained? 

Ramakrishna : There is no difference in work. 
Do not think that this work will lead to God 
and that will not. Everything depends upon 
His Grace. Whatever work you perform with 
Work and sincerity and earnest longing will 
grace. attract His Grace and help towards 

realization. Through His Grace the conditions 
for realization will become perfect. These con- 
ditions are association with the holy, right dis- 

83 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

crimination of the Real from the unreal, and the 
finding of the real Guru, or true spiritual master. 
If your family depends upon you, perhaps yovtr 
brother will assume its responsibility for you. 
Perhaps your wife will not hinder you in your 
spiritual life, but will rather help you ; or perhaps 
you will not marry at all and will not be attached 
to the world in any way. When such condi- 
tions become absolutely favorable, the realiza- 
tion of God becomes easy. 

Once a man's son lay at the point of death 
and none could help him. Some one, however, 
Parable of the said : "There is but one hope. If 
father and his you can get the venom of a cobra 
mixed with a few drops of rain-water 
fallen under the constellation of Swdti in a 
human skull, by it your son's life will be 
saved." The father looked and found that the 
constellation of Swdti would be in the ascendant 
on the morrow; so he prayed, saying: "O Lord, 
do Thou make possible all these conditions and 
spare the life of my son." With extreme ear- 
nestness and longing in his heart he set out on 
the following evening and searched diligently 
in a deserted spot for a human skull. At last 
he found one under a tree and watched, praying. 
Suddenly a shower came up and a few drops of 

84 



GOSPFX OF RAMAKRISHNA 

rain lodged in the upturned skull. He said to 
himself: "Now I have the water in the skull 
under the right constellation." Then he prayed 
earnestly: "Grant, Lord, that the rest may also 
come." In a short time he discovered a toad 
not far from the skull, and he prayed again. 
Then from the grass sprang a cobra to snatch 
the toad, but at that moment the toad jumped 
over the skull and the venom of the cobra fell 
into it. With overwhelming gratitude the 
anxious father cried out: "Lord, by Thy Grace 
all impossible things are possible. Now I know 
that my son's life will be saved." Therefore I 
say, if you have true faith and earnest longing, 
you will get everything by the Grace of the Lord. 
God cannot be obtained so long as the mind 
is not absolutely free from all worldly attach- 
Non= ment. A true sage is one who cannot 

attachment hoard anything for himself. There 

necessary. ^ & gaying . << A fowl of the air and a 

true sage do not gather stores ; they do not keep 
anything for the morrow." As regards myself, 
I cannot keep anything even for my personal 
needs. I cannot put away any object, even a 
clove, for the future. At one time I thought of 
going to Benares, but afterwards I discovered 
that I had to carry clothes and take money with 

85 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

me, so it was impossible for me to go. (Turning 
to Mahima) But you are householders, you can 
have both this and that, both the world and 
the spiritual life. 

Mahima: Bhagavan, "this" cannot remain 
long. 

Ramakrishna: When I was practising renun- 
ciation, one day I went to the Ganges near the 
Panchaoati and took up a handful of earth and 
a handful of coins; then I began to discrimi- 
nate, saying that earth and gold are one and 
the same; earth is gold and gold is earth; and 
after realizing the sameness, I threw both into 
the river. I prayed to my Divine Mother, 
saying: "O Mother, I do not desire material 
wealth or earthly prosperity, but only that 
Thou dwell within my heart." When the mind 
renounces attachment to lust and wealth, it 
turns towards God and ultimately becomes 
attached to Him. Then that which was bound 
becomes free. To be turned away from God 
is bondage. The mind is like the needle of a 
scale and God is the central point of balance. 
When the weight of worldly attachment is in 
the heart, the scale drops to one side and the 
needle of the mind is deflected from the central 
point or God. The heavier the weight, the 

86 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

greater is the deflection. Why does a child 
cry after its birth? It thinks, as it were: "I 
was enjoying Divine Communion, but now I 
have lost it. Where have I come and where 
is my God, where is my God?" For you (to 
Mahima) the renunciation should be in the 
mind only. You should remain in the world, 
but unattached to it. 

Mahima: Revered Sir, can the world exist 
for the mind which is fixed on God ? 

Ramakrishna : Of course it will exist ; other- 
wise where will it go? I see that wherever I 
The kin dom rema i n > I am i n the kingdom of God. 
of God is Verily I say unto you, this world is 

everywhere. the kingdom of God R^machan- 

dra, the Divine Incarnation and the Hero of 
the epic Ram ay ana, said to his father that he 
would renounce the world and go to a spiritual 
Guru in order to attain spiritual wisdom. The 
father summoned the great sage Vashishta to 
reason with his son. Vashishta saw r that Rama 
had intense dispassion for the world; he then 
said to him° "O Rama, first discriminate with 
me, then renounce the world.' ' By right dis- 
crimination Rama realized that God manifests 
Himself in the form of Jiva, or the individual 
soul and the world. Everything lives and exists 

87 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

in and through His Being. Then Rama kept 
silent. 

Some time ago Vaishnava Charan said that 
perfect knowledge of God is attained when one 
perceives Him in all human beings. I have 
now come to a stage of realization in which I 
see that God is walking in every human form 
and manifesting Himself alike through the sage 
and the sinner, the virtuous and the vicious. 
Therefore when I meet different people, I say to 
myself: " God in the form of the saint, God in 
the form of the sinner, God in the form of the 
unrighteous and God in the form of the right- 
eous.' ' He who has attained to such realization 
goes beyond good and evil, above virtue and 
vice, and realizes that the Divine will is working 
everywhere. 

There was a Hindu monastery in a certain 
village. The monks of the monastery went out 

Parable of the eVer 7 da ^ with be gg in g bowls to 

monk and the gather food. One day, a monk, pass- 
Zemmdar. ^ ^ v , saw a Zemindar severely 
beating a poor man. The holy man, being very 
kind-hearted, entreated the Zemindar to stop 
beating the man. The Zemindar, blind with 
rage, immediately turned on the monk and 
poured upon him the venom of his anger. He 

88 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

beat him until he was knocked unconscious on 
the ground. Another man, seeing his condition, 
went to the monastery and told what had 
happened. His brother monks ran to the spot 
where the holy man was lying. They lifted 
him and brought him to the monastery and laid 
him in a room ; but the holy man still remained 
unconscious for a long time. Sorrowful and 
anxious, his brothers fanned him, bathed his 
face, put milk into his mouth and tried to nurse 
him back to life. Gradually they brought him 
back to consciousness. The holy man opened 
his eyes and looked at his fellow-brethren. 
One of them, desiring to know whether he could 
recognize his friends, asked him in a loud voice: 
"Maharaj, dost thou recognize him who is feed- 
ing thee with milk ? ' ' The holy man answered 
in a feeble voice: "Brother, he who beat me is 
now feeding me." And Ramakrishna added: 
But one cannot realize this oneness of the Spirit 
unless one has reached God-consciousness. 

Live in the world like a dead leaf. As a dead 

leaf is carried by the wind into a house or on 

the roadside and has no choice of its 

Resignation. . • . IJ 

own, so let the wind or Divine Will 
blow you wherever it chooses. - Now it has 
placed you in the world, be contented, 

89 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Again when it will carry you to a better place, 
be equally resigned. The Lord has kept you 
in the world, what can you do? Resign every- 
thing to Him, even your own dear self; then all 
trouble will be over. You will see then that 
He is doing everything ; everywhere is the will 
of Rama * (God). 

In a certain village there lived a weaver. 
He was very spiritual; everyone trusted and 
Parable of the loved him. The weaver went to 
pious weaver. t ^ e mar ket to sell his cloth. If a 
customer asked the price of it, he would say: 
" By the will* of Rama the thread cost one Rupee, 
by the w411 of Rama the labor cost four Annas, 
by the will of Rama the profit is two Annas, 
by the will of Rama the price of the cloth as it 
stands is one Rupee and six Annas." People 
had such confidence in him that they would 
immediately pay the price and take the cloth. 
This man was a true devotee. At night after 
dinner he would sit for a long time and meditate 
on God and repeat His Holy Name. Once it 
was late into the night; he could not sleep; 

* The word Rama refers to the Divine Hero described in 
the Hindu epic called "Ramayana." It is also a name 
which the Hindu Bhaktas use for the Supreme Lord of the 
universe. 

90 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

he was sitting alone in the courtyard near the 
entrance, smoking. A gang of robbers was 
passing that way. They wanted a carrier, and 
seeing this man, they dragged him away with 
them. Then they broke into a house and stole 
a great many things, some of which they piled 
on the poor weaver's head. At this moment 
the watchman came up, the robbers ran away 
and the poor weaver with his load was caught. 
He had to spend that night in confinement. 
Next morning he was brought before the judge. 
The people of the village, hearing what had 
happened, came to see the weaver. They 
unanimously declared: "My lord, this man has 
not stolen anything." The judge then asked 
the weaver to describe what had occurred. 
The weaver said : "My lord, by the will of Rama, 
I was sitting in the courtyard; by the will of 
Rama it was very late in the night; I, by the 
will of Rama, was meditating upon God and 
repeating His Holy Name ; when, by the will of 
Rama, a band of robbers passed that way; by the 
will of Rama they dragged me away with them; 
by the will of Rama they broke into a house' ; by 
the will of Rama they piled a load on my head ; 
when, by the will of Rama, the watchman came 
up and, by the will of Rama, I was caught. 

91 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Then, by the will of Rama, I was kept in prison, 
and this morning the will of Rama has brought 
me before thee." The judge, seeing the inno- 
cence and spirituality of the man, ordered him 
to be released. Coming out, the weaver said to 
his friends, "The will of Rama has released me." 
Everything Whether you live in the world or 
depends on renounce it, everything depends upon 
God's will. the win of Rkm ^ Throwing your 

whole responsibility upon God, do your work 
in the world. If you cannot do this, what else 
can you do? 

If a clerk be imprisoned, when the term of 
his sentence is over and he comes out, tell me, 
will he pass his time in dancing for joy over his 
release or resume his work as clerk? So when 
the householder is liberated from the prison of 
the world, will he spend his life in rejoicing 
over his liberation? He may continue to per- 
form his duties as householder, if he so desires. 
He who has attained wisdom makes no dis- 
tinction between this place and that place; 
to him all positions are equal. He who has 
found God here has also found Him there. 
When the tail of a tadpole drops off, it can live 
both in water and on land. When the tail of 

ignorance drops off, man becomes free. He 

92 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

can then live both in God and in the world 
equally well. 

Those who follow monistic (Advaita) Ve- 
danta, however, look upon this world as unreal, 
The world like a dream. According to them 
like a dream. Paramatman, or the Over-Soul, is the 
witness of the three states of consciousness, — 
waking, dream and dreamless sleep. All these 
are ideas. The dream state is just as real as 
the waking state. Let me tell you a story. 

There was a farmer who was a monist; he 
had attained to some realization. He lived like 
Parable of any other farmer with his family, 

the farmer ^ he had a cMd He and hig 

and his only 

child. wife had extreme love for this son 

because he was their only child. The farmer 
himself was a very spiritual man. He was 
respected and loved by everyone in the village. 
Once he was working in the field, when suddenly 
a man brought the news of his son's severe ill- 
ness. He went home, called physicians, took 
great care, but could not save the child's life. 
Everybody in the household was overwhelmed 
with grief, but the farmer looked as if nothing 
had happened. He consoled others by saying, 
"What can be gained by mourning over the 
child?" The next day he went to the field as 

93 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

usual, and after finishing his work he came 
home and found his wife and the other members 
of the family' still weeping and wailing and 
plunged in deep sorrow. The wife reproached 
him, saying: "How heartless you are! you have 
not shed a single tear for your only child." 
The farmer then calmly replied: "Shall I tell 
you why I do not weep? Last night I had a 
wonderful dream. I saw that I was a king, 
and the father of eight beautiful children, and 
that I was enjoying all the pleasures and com- 
forts of life. Suddenly I woke up and the 
dream passed away. Now I am in great con- 
fusion, — whether I shall weep and wail for my 
eight children or for this only one." The 
farmer was an Advaita Jnani, therefore he 
realized that the waking state was as unreal 
, as the dream state, and that the one permanent 
Reality was Atman. But I accept all states 
as true, — the state of Samadhi, which is the 
fourth state, and again, the waking, dream and 
dreamless sleep state, I accept Brahman the 
Absolute and Maya, Jiva (the individual soul) 
and the world. If I do not take all, a portion 
will be missing and the weight will be less. 
A devotee: How could the weight be less? 
Ramakrishna : Brahman the Absolute is with 
94 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the individual souls and the phenomenal world. 
First, when a person is discriminating by saying : 
"Not this, not this," he leaves the individual 
egos and the phenomenal world aside ; then after 
reaching the Absolute, when he returns, he 
realizes that the Absolute appears as the phe- 
The Absolute nomenal world. In a wood-apple 
andthephe- there are seeds, pulp and the shell. 

nomenal. When j ^^ the ^^ j leaye Qut the 

seeds and the shell; but when I speak of the 
weight of the wood-apple, the weight of the 
pulp alone would not be equal to it. You will 
have to weigh the pulp, seeds, shell and every- 
thing. That which has pulp has also seeds and 
shell. Similarly, that which is the Absolute has 
also all phenomena. Therefore I take both 
the Absolute Reality and the phenomenal 
reality. I do not blow away the phenomenal 
world by calling it a dream, because then the 
weight will be less. 

Mahima: This is a wonderful harmony. 
From the Absolute to the phenomenal and 
from the phenomenal to the Absolute. 

Ramakrishna: Those who are Jnanis (mon- 
ists) look at the world as a dream, but the realis- 
tic Bhaktas take every state as real. There are 
some cows who pick only certain tufts of grass 

95 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and give very little milk; but there are other 
cows who eat all kinds of grass and give plenty 
of milk. The Jnanis may be compared to the 
former, and the Bhaktas to the latter. The 
highest of the Bhaktas take both the Absolute 
and the phenomenal; therefore when they 
come down from the Absolute to the plane of 
Meaning of relativity, they continue to enjoy the 
0m ' Absolute through the phenomenal. 

(To Mahima) You explain Om as containing 
three letters, A-u-m. 

Mahima: Revered Sir, A-u-m means creation, 
preservation and destruction. 

Ramakrishna : But for me it is like the sound 
d-o-n-g of a big bell, which is at first audible, 
then inaudible, and ultimately melts away 
into infinite space. So the phenomenal melts 
away in the Absolute; the gross, subtle and 
causal states lose themselves in the Great 
Cause, the Absolute; the waking, dream and 
dreamless sleep states become merged in the 
fourth state, Samadhi. When the bell sounds, 
it creates waves like those in the ocean when 
a heavy stone is thrown into it. From the 
Absolute phenomena come out, from the same 
Absolute, which is the great First Cause, have 
also evolved the gross, subtle and causal bodies. 

9 6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

From the same Absolute, again, which is the 
fourth state, come the other three states of 
consciousness. The waves of the ocean are once 
more dissolved in the ocean. By this illus- 
tration of d-o-n-g I show that the eternal word 
Om is symbolic of the evolution and involution 
of phenomena from and into the Absolute. 
I have seen all these things. My Divine Mother 
has shown me that in the infinite ocean of the 
Absolute, waves rise and again merge into it. 
In that infinite spiritual space millions of planets 
and worlds rise and are dissolved. I do not know 
what is written in your books ; I have seen all this. 

Mahima: Those who had realized, did not 
write the books. They were intoxicated by 
their own realization. They forgot everything, 
how could they write? To write something is 
to have a calculating intellect. Others having 
learned from them, have written and their 
writings are known as Scriptures. 

Ramakrishna: Worldly people say that it is 
impossible to be free from attachment to world- 
When God liness. But when God is attained, 
is attained a u_ -worldly attachment vanishes. 

worldly 

attachment After realizing the absolute bliss of 
vanishes. God-consciousness one cannot enjoy 
sense-pleasures or run after fame, honor or any 

97 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

worldly object. Moths after once seeing the 
light do not return to the darkness. As much 
as one thinks of God and meditates on Him, 
by so much will one lose one's taste for worldly 
pleasures. As much as one's love and devotion 
for God increases, by so much will diminish 
worldly desires and care for the body. Then 
one will look upon every woman as mother, 
upon his own wife as a spiritual helpmate; 
all animal passions will disappear; Divine 
spirituality will come, and non-attachment to 
the world; then one will become absolutely 
emancipated even in this life. 

98 



CHAPTER IV 

VISIT TO THE PANDIT VIDYASAGARA * 

Sri Ramakrishna desired to meet Pandit 
Iswara Chandra Vidyasagara. One afternoon 
he was seen coming in a carriage with some of 
his disciples all the way from Dakshineswara," 
a distance of about six miles, to pay a visit to 
the Pandit at Badurbagan in Calcutta. As the 
carriage passed before Raja Rammohun Roy's f 

* Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyasagara was the greatest 
Hindu scholar of his time in Calcutta. He was a true philan- 
thropist, a patriot,, an educationalist, and the founder of the 
Metropolitan Institution in Calcutta. The word Vidyasagara 
is a Sanskrit title which he acquired on account of his vast 
erudition. It means " ocean of knowledge.' ' 

t Raja, Rammohun Roy was a great Hindu reformer who 
lived between 1774 and 1833 a.d. He was the first earnest - 
minded investigator of the science of comparative religion 
that the world has produced. He studied the Vedas in 
Sanskrit and the Buddhist Scriptures in the original Pali 

lofc. " 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

house, the Bhagavan suddenly grew silent. 
His mind was absorbed in meditation on the 
Divine Mother. One of his disciples, not per- 
ceiving the sudden change that had come over 
him, said: "This is Rammohun Roy's house." 
The Bhagavan replied: "Ah! Now my mind 
is not on such things"; and immediately he 
entered into the ecstatic state (Bhava). 

The carriage, a short while after, drew up in 
front of the Pandit's house. Sri Ramakrishna 
alighted, supported by one of His disciples. 
Before reaching the staircase which led to the 
Pandit's study, which w~as also the drawing- 
room, the Bhagavan, putting his hand on His 
shirt, asked a disciple with some concern: "My 
Ramakrish- shirt is unbuttoned ; is it necessary 
na's childlike to button it?" The disciple an- 
nature ' swered: "Do not trouble Thyself, 

Lord; none will find fault with Thee on that 

the Koran in Arabic, the Old Testament in Hebrew., and 
the New Testament in Greek. He denounced the practice 
of Suttee which was abolished in 1829. He established 
the Hindu Unitarian Theistic movement known as the 
"Brahmo Samaj." He was the first Hindu Brahmin of rank 
and influence who visited Paris and England. After nearly 
two years' stay in England Raja Rammohun Roy died at 
Bristol in 1833, 

100 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

account." The Bhagavan, like a child, seemed 
to be satisfied and did not think about it again. 
The party was then led upstairs into a room 
where the Pandit was seated in a chair facing 
the south. A table after the European fashion, 
with books and papers lying about on it, was 
before him, and he was talking with some of his 
friends. As the Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna 
entered the room, the Pandit rose to receive 
Him. The Lord stood with His face to the 
west and with one hand resting upon the table. 
He looked upon the Pandit intently as if he 
was an old acquaintance, and with a smile on 
His sweet, childlike radiant face, lost all sense- 
consciousness, and went into the ecstatic 
Samadhi. 

After a while, taking his seat on a bench, the 
Bhagavan in his semiconscious state uttered, 
"I wish some water to drink." Thereupon 
Vidyasagara inquired of a disciple whether the 
Bhagavan would also like some delicious sweet- 
meats which he had just received from Burd- 
wan.* Finding no objection, the Pandit went 
into his inner apartments and returned with 
water and the sweetmeats. He placed them 

* Burdwan, an old city in Bengal, famous for delicious 
sweetmeats. 

IOI 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

before the Lord. The disciples partook of the 
sweetmeats, but when they were offered to one 
young man, Vidyasagara said: "Oh, he is a 
child of the house; do not trouble about him." 

The Bhagavan then said, referring to a young 
man who was sitting before him: "Yes, this 
young man is good. He is like the river 
Falgu,* covered with dry sand, but if you dig 
a little you will find a strong invisible current 
underneath. He has a spiritual current inside, 
although he does not show it on the outside." 

Then addressing Vidyasagara he continued: 
"To-day I have at last reached the ocean 
Rama= (referring to the literal meaning of 

krishna's love the word Vidyasagara, — the ocean of 
knowledge). So long I have seen 
only canals, lakes, or, at most, rivers, but now 
I see the ocean itself. 

Vidyasagara: Then, Sir, Thou art welcome to 
take some salt water from it. 

Bhagavan: No, my dear sir, why salt water? 
You are not the ocean of Avidya (ignorance), 

* Falgu is the name of a sacred river near the holy city of 
Gaya in India. It was on the bank of this river that Buddha 
attained to the highest enlightenment. Its bed is covered 
with sand like a desert, but a strong current of pure water 
flows underneath. 

102 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

which leads away from God, but you are the 
ocean of milk, the ocean of Vidya, or true 
knowledge leading Godward. 

Vidyasagara: Revered Sir, Thou mayest say 
that. 

Bhagavan: Your Karma proceeds from the 
Sattwa element of nature. From it rises com- 
passion. Whatever work is done for the 

Good works g° od of others is absolutely free 
and compas- from fault. It may be called Raja- 

sion for all. ^^ but ^ j g the act i v i ty Q f Sattwa. 

There is no harm in such works. Sukadeva 
and others like him had compassion for all. 
They worked for humanity and helped man- 
kind in the path of Divinity. You are giving 
free education and doing charitable works ; that 
is good. He who performs good works through 
love, without seeking results, attains to God. 
But he who works for name, fame or any other 
selfish purpose remains bound. Further, I may 
say that you have already become Siddha (per- 
fected). 

Vidyasagara: Sir, how is that? 

Bhagavan: You know that Siddha, or well- 
boiled potato, becomes soft and tender. Have 
you not become tender-hearted by your com- 
passion for all? 

103 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Vidyasagara: But the paste of Kalai (a kind 
of pulse) when boiled (Siddha) becomes harder. 
Is it not so? 

Bhagavan, laughing: Yes, but you are not 
like that. Mere book-learned Pandits (scholars) 
Book-learned are hard-hearted. They do good 
Pandits like neither to themselves nor to others. 
vultures. They are like vultures who soar high 
in the sky, but always search after carrion-pits. 
They may talk about Divine truths, but their 
minds are attached to woman and wealth. 
Their attachment is to worldly things (Avidya). 
Compassion, Devotion (Bhakti), Dispassion 
(Vairagya)-^-these are the manifestations of 
Vidya. 

Vidyasagara was listening to the words of 
wisdom with whole attention, while the eyes 
of other gentlemen present were fixed upon 
the blissful face of Ramakrishna radiant with 
Divine glory. 

The Bhagavan continued: The Absolute 
Brahman is beyond the reach of Vidya (knowl- 
vidya and edge) as well as of Avidya (ignorance) , 
Avidya. which keeps one away from the reali- 

zation of the Absolute. 

The absolute Brahman is beyond the reach 
of Maya, while Maya is either Vidya or Avidya. 

104 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Vidya-Maya and Avidya-Maya both exist in 
this world. As there are knowledge (Jnana) and 
Devotion (Bhakti), so also there are lust and 
■greed for wealth. Good and evil, virtue and 
vice, are to be found in this world of relativity; 
but Brahman is unaffected by them. They 
exist in relation to Jiva (individual ego), but 
cannot touch the Absolute Brahman. 

Brahman may be compared to the light of a 
lamp. As by the same light one may read 
Brahman ^ e Holy Scriptures and another may 
untouched by forge a document, while the light re- 
good and evil. mains unaffected by the gQod and 

evil deeds, so is the Absolute Brahman un- 
touched by the good and evil of the world. He 
is like the Sun who shines equally upon the vir- 
tuous and the wicked. 

If you ask, misery, sin, suffering, unhappi- 
ness, — whose are these? I should answer, they 
are for the Jiva. They do not affect the Brah- 
man. Evil to Jiva is not evil to Brahman 
any more than the venom in the fangs of a 
snake is poison to the snake. Others may die 
of snake-bite, but as the poison does not hurt 
the snake, so indeed is the existence of sin and 
evil in relation to Jiva alone. Who can de- 
scribe what the absolute Brahman is? What- 

105 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ever can be uttered by the mouth has become 
defiled as it were, like the leavings of food. 
The Revealed Scriptures, Vedas, Tantras, Pura- 
nas and all Holy Books, have become defiled 
as it were, like leavings of food, for they have 
Brahman in- been uttered by human mouths. 
describabie. g ut there is one thing that is never 
defiled in this manner and that is the Absolute 
Brahman. No one has ever succeeded in de- 
scribing the Absolute by words of mouth. 
Brahman is unspeakable, indescribable, un- 
thinkable. 

Vidyasagara, interrupting, said to his friends: 
This is a grand idea. To-day I have learned 
this truth, that the Brahman is the one substance 
that has never been defiled by the mouth. 

Bhagavan: Yes, that is so. 

A certain father had two sons. To instruct 
them in the knowledge of Brahman he sent 

A 

Parable of the them to an Acharya (preceptor). 
Ve ^u. fa ! her After a few years they returned home 

and his two J J 

sons. and saluted their father. The father 

was anxious to know how far they had learned 
about Brahman, so he asked his eldest son: 
"My dear son, you have studied all the Scrip- 
tures and philosophies, tell me what is Brahman 
like?" The eldest son then tried to describe 

106 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the Absolute Brahman by quoting various pas- 
sages from the Vedas. The father kept silent. 

Turning to his younger son he asked the same 
question. The younger son did not answer in 
words, but remained motionless and communed 
with the Brahman in silence. The father then 
exclaimed: "My dear child, thou hast ap- 
proached the realization of the Brahman. Thy 
silence is a better answer than the recitation of 
a hundred texts of the Vedas, for Brahman is 
indescribable by words. It is indeed the Abso- 
lute Silence." The knowledge of the Absolute 
Brahman is attained in the state of Samadhi. 
In that superconscious state Brahman is realized. 
Then all thoughts cease to rise and perfect 
silence prevails in the soul. Even the power 
of speech remains unmanifested. How can one 
describe Brahman by words of mouth? Man 
thinks that he has known the Absolute Brah- 
man. 

An ant went to a mount of sugar. The ant 

did not realize how high was the mountain, but 

ate a small particle of sugar and was 

Parable of the . _ i _ r • , « 

ant and the satisfied. It carried home another 
mount of particle in its mouth. On its way it 

sugar. 

thought: "Next time I will carry the 
whole mountain." Such, alas, is the thought of 

107 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

small minds. They think that they have known 
the Absolute, not realizing that Brahman is be- 
yond the reach of mind and thought. However 
great the mind may be it cannot fully compre- 
hend the Absolute Brahman. Sukadeva * and 
other great spiritual teachers may be compared 
to large ants. They could carry in their mouth 
at utmost eight or ten grains from the mountain 
of sugar. It is as absurd to say that Brahman 
has been fully comprehended by a great man as 
it is absurd to say that the whole mountain of 
sugar was carried away by a large ant. 

What the Vedas and other Scriptures have 
said about the Absolute is like the description 
of the ocean given by a man who saw the vast 
ocean. When asked what the ocean was like, 
he exclaimed in utter amazement: "Oh! what 
I have seen ; how vast is the expanse ! How big 
are the waves! What a thundering roar! " 

Like unto this is the talk about the Absolute 
Brahman. The Vedas declare that Brahman is 

* Sukadeva was the son of Vyasa, the author of the Vedanta 
Sutras and many of the Puranas. He was born with the 
Brahma Jndna, or the knowledge of the Absolute. He, in his 
childhood, renounced the world with all its pleasures and 
attractions. He is regarded by the Hindus as the Ideal Jnani, 
or Knower of Brahman. 

108 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the ocean of the Absolute Existence, Intelli- 
gence and Bliss. Sukadeva and other great 
spiritual teachers stood on the shore of that In- 
finite Ocean, saw it and touched its waters. 

Some believe that even those great souls did 
not go into the Ocean, for whoever enters into 
that ocean of Brahman does not return to this 
mundane existence. 

A doll made of salt once went to the ocean to 
measure its depth. It had a desire to tell others 
Parable of a how deep was the ocean. Alas! Its 
salt doll. desire was never satisfied. No sooner 
had it plunged into the ocean than it melted away 
and became one with the ocean. Who would 
bring the news regarding the depth ? Similar is 
the condition of the Jiva (individual ego) who 
enters into the Infinite Ocean of the Absolute 
Brahman. 

Some one asked : Bhagavan, is it true that the 
man who has entered into Samadhi, or who has 
acquired Brahma Jn&nam, does not speak? 

Ramakrishna to Vidyasagara: Yes, he who 
has realized Brahman becomes silent. Discus- 
Brahman is sions and argumentations exist so 
silence. long as the realization of the Abso- 

lute does not come. If you melt butter in a 
pan over fire, how long does it make a noise? 

109 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

So long as there is water in it. When the 
water is evaporated it ceases to make further 
noise. Again if you throw a piece of dough in 
that hot clarified butter (Ghee) there will be 
noise until the cake is thoroughly fried. The 
soul of a seeker after Brahman may be com- 
pared to fresh butter. It is mixed with the 
water of egoism and worldliness. Discussions 
and argumentations (Vichara) of a seeker are 
like the noise caused during the process of 
purification by the fire of knowledge. As the 
water of egoism and worldliness is evaporated 
and the soul becomes purer, all noise of debates 
and discussions ceases and absolute silence 
reigns in the state of Samadhi. 

Thus realizing the Absolute Brahman in 
silence, the soul comes down on the plane of 
Egoism of relativity to help others and to teach 
a saint. mankind the highest wisdom of Brah- 

man. Then he talks again and makes a noise 
again, as the hot Ghee does when in contact 
with a piece of dough. Such a soul retains the 
sense of "I" simply to help mankind. San- 
karacharya and other spiritual teachers kept 
the purified sense * of "I" without which all 
teaching is impossible. 

The bee buzzes so long as it is outside the 
no 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

lotus and does not settle down in its heart to 
Sages teach drink of the honey. As soon as it 
for the good tastes of the honey all buzzing is at 
"' ° ,hvr " an end. Similarly all noise of dis- 
cussion ceases when the soul of the neophyte 
begins to drink the nectar of Divine Love in the 
Lotus Feet of the Almighty. Sometimes, how- 
ever, the bee after being intoxicated by the 
honey makes a sweet humming sound. So the 
God-intoxicated soul sometimes speaks for the 
good of others. 

A pitcher makes a noise when it is being filled 
with water in a tank. But all noise stops as 
soon as the pitcher is full to the brim. The 
noise will be heard again if some water of the 
pitcher be poured into another pitcher. (Here 
water means the water of the Divine Wisdom, 
and the soul of a wise man is the pitcher.) 

The question now arises, how do we explain 
the relation between a perfect Guru and his 
Relation be- disciples ? The Guru must talk in 
tween Guru order to drive away the ignorance of 
and disciples. his disciples . This kind of discrim- 
ination, however, does no harm. The boiling 
butter after it is clarified ceases to make any 
noise; but if the raw cake jnade of flour is 
thrown into it, it will produce much noise be- 

XII 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

cause of the water in the cake. The noise will 
continue until the cake is properly fried. The 
unfried cake maybe compared to the disciple, 
and the boiling butter to the Guru, the spiritual 
teacher. The sound of teaching is heard so 
long as the disciple is not perfectly enlightened. 

Sri Ramakrishna continued: So long as the 
individual soul has the slightest attachment to 
N 0n _ the world of senses and desires it 

attachment, cannot attain to Brahma-Jnana. He 
is a Jnani who relinquishes all worldly desires 
and sense-pleasures by saying, "not this, not 
this," and then realizes the Supreme Brahman 
in Samadhi. 

A Jnani knows that all phenomena of the 
universe which are subject to evolution, whether 
physical or mental, are within the realm of 
Maya; they are unreal and transitory like the 
objects of vision in a dream. Therefore as one 
climbs the stairway step by step until the roof 
is reached, so he rises above them step by 
step, saying "not this," until he reaches the Ab- 
solute Brahman, which is the roof of the phe- 
nomenal universe. 

A Jnani goes so far as to realize that Brah- 
man is the Absolute Reality and all phenomena 
unreal, A Vijnani, however, goes farther and 

112 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

realizes more. He sees that the roof and the 
steps are all made of the same substance. Few 
ah phenom- can stay long on the roof (the 
ena unreal. rea lm of the Absolute). All those 
who reach this state of Samadhi must return to 
lower planes, just as no one can sing on "Si," 
the highest note of the gamut, for a long time. 
The sense of "I*' drags one down. But when a 
Vijnani returns from Samadhi to a lower plane 
of consciousness and perceives the world of 
relativity, he sees the Brahman everywhere, and 
that the same Absolute Being appears as Jiva 
and all the phenomena of the universe. He 
realizes, "I am Brahman," "I am He." 

There are various paths which lead to the 
realization of the Absolute Brahman. The 
Jnana-Yoga P atn °f a Jnani is as good as that of 
and a Bhakta. Jnana-Yoga is true; so 

Bhakti-Yoga. fa Bhakti-Yoga. There is another 
path of Bhakti mixed with Jnana which is 
equally true. So long as the sense of "I, me, 
mine" remains in the devotee, the path of 
Bhakti is easier for him. 

A Vijnani, however, realizes the Absolute 
Brahman as the unchangeable Reality of the 
universe, firm and immutable like the Mount 
Sumeru. It is beyond all activity of Maya. 

"3 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

He also sees that the world has evolved out of 
the three Gunas (Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas) of 
the Prakriti or Cosmic energy. 

Maya or Prakriti consists of Vidya and Avid- 
ya. Vidya is that energy which leads Godward. 
It manifests itself as discrimination 
(Viveka), non-attachment (Vairagya), 
devotion and love of God (Bhakti, Prema). 
But Avidya leads to worldliness. This energy 
expresses itself as various passions, desire for 
wealth and honor, ambition, work with attach- 
ment, selfishness. All these Vidya and Avidya 
forces rise from the Divine Energy of Brahman — 
they cannot affect the Brahman. The Vijnani 
Vijnani and realizes that the same Absolute 
Bhakta. Brahman appears as the Personal 

God (Iswara), that He who is beyond all attri- 
butes is also the Personal God with all attributes 
and blessed qualities. The Vijnani sees that 
Jiva (individual ego), phenomenal world, mind, 
intellect, Bhakti, dispassion, knowledge — all 
these are the glory of the supreme Personal 
Deity. If these manifestations of the Divine 
Glory did not exist, who would have worshipped 
Him as the Lord of the universe ? If a rich man 
does not possess wealth and property, but be- 
comes bankrupt, nobody will call him rich. 

114 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Do you not see how beautiful is this world? 
How many varieties of phenomena — the Sun, 
moon, stars, various kinds of animals and vege- 
tables, things large and small, good and bad, 
some men with great powers, others with 
few. 

Vidyasagara: Is it then true, Revered Sir, 
that God has given to some greater powers 
than to others? Is the Lord partial? 

Bhagavan : The Lord dwells as the all-pervad- 
ing Being (Vibhu) equally within all living 
creatures great or small, nay, even in the 
smallest ant or animalcule. The difference lies 
in the manifestation of powers (Sakti) , otherwise 
Unity in how will it be possible for one strong 

diversity. man to defeat ten men in a hand-to- 
hand fight, while a weakling will run away 
from the presence of an ordinary mortal? 

If there were no difference in powers, why 
should people respect and honor you? You 
have no monstrosity, like two horns on the 
forehead, that people will come to see you out 
of curiosity. You have more compassion, more 
wisdom than others, therefore people come to 
see you and pay respects to you. Do you not 
think so? 

There is nothing in mere book-learning. 
"5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

One should study books simply to find out 
the ways by which He (the Absolute 

Book=learmng. - J N 

Brahman) can be realized. 

A holy man had a manuscript with him. 
Some one asked what it contained. The saint 
opened it and showed that on every page was 
written the sacred formula "Om Rama," the 
holy name of the Lord. 

Take the sacred book of Bhagavad Gita. 
What does it teach? If you wish to know it 
repeat the name "Gita" ten times in quick 
True meaning succession — " Gi-ta, gi-ta, gi-, " etc. 
of Gita. j t w {u sound like "tagi, tagi," which 

has the same meaning as the Sanskrit word 
"Tyagi," that is, one who has renounced 
everything of the world for the sake of the 
Lord. One truth which Bhagavad Gita teaches 
is this: "O Jiva, giving up attachment to 
objects and pleasures of the world, struggle to 
realize God." , The mind of a man (whether 
a saint or a householder) must be free from all 
attachment to the world. Then and then 
alone the heart will be purified and the Abso- 
lute will be realized. 

Chaitanya Deva * (God Incarnate of Nuddea), 



* Chaitanya Deva, see note page 7. 
116 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

when travelling on a pilgrimage in the Deccan 
(Southern India) , saw in one place a man reading 
aloud the texts of the Gita. At a little distance 
another man, with unrestrainable tears running 
down his cheeks, was listening. Chaitanya Deva 
asked him whether he understood the meaning 
of the texts. The poor man replied : "My Lord, 
I do not understand one word of what the 
Pandit is reading." Chaitanya Deva ques- 
tioned him: "Why are you weeping, then?" 
The devotee answered: "I see the chariot of 
Arjuna,and the Blessed Lord Krishna is speak- 
ing before him. This Divine vision brings tears 
of love to my eyes." 

Sri Ramakrishna continued: You may ask 
why does a Vijnani prefer to have Bhakti (love 
and devotion) ? The answer is — Because it is 
difficult for one to rje free from the sense of 
"I." In the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi* it 
may vanish for the time being, but it comes back 
again ; while for ordinary individuals it is almost 
impossible to eliminate this sense of "I, me 
and mine." However many times you may cut 

* Nirvikalpa Samadhi is described in the Raja Yoga as the 
highest state of Samadhi in which the soul rises above the 
sense of "I" and the plane of all thoughts, ideas and emo- 
tions, and reaches the realm of the Absolute. 

"7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

off the branches of the Aswatthwa tree, so long 
as the root is alive new branches will sprout; 
Sense similarly you may try to get rid of 

of *' 1 -' the sense of "I," but so long as the 

root is alive it will sprout up again and again. 
Even after acquiring Brahma-Jnana the emanci- 
pated soul is forced back to the plane of this 
"Aham" sense of "I." 

If you dream of a tiger you will tremble in 
every limb and your heart will throb violently. 
When you wake up you may realize that it 
was a mere dream, but still your heart will go 
on palpitating all the same. Similarly the 
sense of "I" remains even after the realization 
of the Absolute. 

Thus, if the sense of "I" is the cause of all 
troubles and it is impossible to be free from 
it, let it stay on as "I, M the servant of the 
Lord. 

Rama Chandra (the God Incarnate) once 
asked his great devotee Hanuman: "My son, 
in what relation do you regard me?" The de- 
votee replied: "When I think of myself as em- 
bodied, I am Thy servant and Thou art the 
Lord. When I think of myself as the Jiva (Ego) 
I am Thy part and Thou art the Universal 
Whole; but when I think of myself as the 

Ii8 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

A 

Atman, I am one with Thee. Then I realize 'I 
am Thou and Thou art I.' " 

If the sense of "I" clings to one so persist- 
ently, let it remain like that of a true Bhakta 
who thinks of himself as the servant of the 
Lord. 

"I" and "mine" — these two are the signs of 
Ajndnam, ignorance. My house, my wealth, 
Ajnanamand my learning, my glory, all these are 
jnanam. mine — this idea proceeds from igno- 
rance of one's true Self, but Jnanam or divine 
knowledge means that state where Jiva realizes : 
"0 Lord, Thou art the Master of all; house, 
family, children, friends, relatives, nay, what- 
ever exists in the universe belongs to Thee." 
"Whatever is mine is Thine." "Nothing be- 
longs to me"— such ideas rise from true knowl- 
edge. 

It is good for everyone to remember that 
after death nothing of this world will remain 
with us. We have come here simply to per- 
form certain Karma and gain some experience. 
Just as country people come to a big city like 
Calcutta to do some work, so 'we have come to 
fulfil our desires according to the tendencies 
with which we were born. 

A rich man has given the charge of his beau- 

IIQ 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

tiful garden to his Sircar (steward). When 
Parable of the visitors come to see the garden the 
rich man and Sir car waits on them attentively. He 
his sircar. s ] lows t h em the beautiful parts of 
the garden with luxurious fruit-trees, flower- 
beds, palace-like buildings, lakes, etc., saying. 
" These are, gentlemen, our mango-trees. This 
is our orchard ; this is our lake ; how beautiful 
are our flowers! Here you see is our drawing- 
room with most expensive furniture, fine paint- 
ings by the best artists — all these belong to us." 
The same Sircar may be found fault with and 
dismissed by his master at any time with per- 
emptory order to leave the garden at once. 
He will not be allowed sufficient time to pack 
up his trunk and take his own baggage with 
him. Such is the miserable plight of those who 
lay claim upon things which do not in reality 
belong to them. 

Everything belongs to the Lord. It is ridicu- 
lous for man to say, "I am Karta" (the doer), 
" All these things are mine." 

On two occasions the Lord cannot help smil- 

The Lord i n S • ^ person is taken seriously ill 

smiles on two and is about to die. The physician 

says to the mother of the patient: 

4 ' Mother, there is no cause for fear. I shall save 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

your son's life." The physician forgets that the 
will of the Lord is at the root of every event of 
life and death. The Lord then smiles, thinking: 
"How foolish this man must be who boasts of 
saving the life of his patient when the latter is 
dying under My will." The Lord smiles again 
when two brothers are engaged in partitioning 
their estate. They take a measuring-tape and, 
putting it out across the land, say : "This portion 
is mine, and that is yours." The Lord smiles, 
thinking: "The whole Universe belongs to Me, 
but these foolish brothers say: 'This portion is 
mine and that is yours.' " 

"O Lord, Thou makest everything and Thou 
art my nearest and dearest One. This house, 
this family, these relatives, these friends of 
mine, nay, this whole universe belongs to Thee, 
O Lord." Such is the nature of true Jnana 
(knowledge). But "I do everything, I am the 
doer. My house, my family, my children, my 
friends, everything belongs to me " ; all this pro- 
ceeds from Ajnana (ignorance). 

A Guru was giving this instruction to his dis- 
ciple : * ' The Lord alone is thine own and no one 
The Lord alone else belongs to thee." The disciple 
is thine own. rep lied : " But my mother and my 
wife, who take such good care of me, who love 

m 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

me and feel extremely unhappy when they do 
not see me, are also my own, are they not?" 
The Guru answered: " In this you are mistaken. 
I will show you that none of them truly cares 
for you. Never believe for a moment that your 
mother or wife will sacrifice her life for your 
sake. You can try and see. Go home and 
feign excruciating pain and I will come and 
show you." The disciple acted accordingly. 
Doctors were called in, but no one could afford 
relief. The mother of the patient was sorrow- 
ing and sighing. The wife and children were 
weeping. At this moment the Sannyasin (Gu- 
ru) appeared. "The disease is of a serious 
nature," he said, "and I do not see any chance 
of the patient's recovery unless some one come 
forward to give his or her life for the patient." 
At this all of them looked aghast. The Sanny- 
asin, addressing the old mother of the sick man, 
said: "To live or to die will be the same thing 
to you, if in your old age you lose your son who 
earns for himself and for you all. If you can 
give your life in exchange for his, I can save 
your son. If you, as mother, cannot make this 
sacrifice for him, who else in the world will care 
to do it?" The old woman stammered through 
her tears: "Revered father, I am ready to do 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

anything you order for the sake of my son. 
But the thing is, my own life — and what is my 
life in comparison to that of my son? The 
thought — what will become of my little ones after 
my death, makes me a coward. Unfortunate 
that I am, these little ones are in my way!" 

While listening to this dialogue between the 
Sannyasin and her mother-in-law, the wife wept 
bitterly and, addressing her parents, said: "For 
your sake, dear father and mother, I can- 
not make the sacrifice. " In this way everyone 
found an excuse. Then the Sannyasin turned 
to the patient and said: "Do you see, no one 
here is ready to sacrifice his life for you. Do 
you understand now what I meant by saying 
that there was no depending on anybody?" 
When the disciple saw all this, he abandoned 
his so-called home and followed the Sannyasin, 
his Guru. 

Sri Ramakrishna continued: The Absolute 
Brahman cannot be known by reasoning. Be 
Seif=surrender his servant and taking refuge with 
and prayer, jjim pray to Him with earnestness 
and sincerity. He will surely reveal Himself 
unto you. Book-learning or intellectual dis- 
cussions cannot reveal the Divinity. 

Thus saying the Blessed One sang: 
123 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

The Glory of the Divine Mother 

i. Who knoweth what is Kali (my Divine 
Mother) ? 
Even the Six Schools of Philosophy get not 
a glimpse of Her. 

2. The Yogi ever meditateth upon Her at the 

Muladhara and the Sahasrara. 
As the swans, male and female, commune 
with each other, so in this lotus (Lotus 
here is a symbol of Plexus) forest doth 
Kali commune with Her consort (Shiva). 

A 

3. Kali, the soul of Atmarama (Shiva), is as 

beloved as Sit a is of Rama. The majesty 
of Kali, Shiva (Kala) alone can know, for- 
sooth who else may know it ? 

4. For She giveth birth unto the universe; 

think how vast She is. 
She dwelleth within all things as the will 
omnipotent. 

5. The Psalmist (Prasad) * singeth: "Mortals 

* Prasad is the abbreviated form of the full name of the 
Hindu Psalmist, Rama Prasad Sen. He was a great Yogi 
and a true devotee of the Divine Mother of the universe. 
His songs have deep spiritual meanings and Raxnakrishna 
was very fond of them. 

124 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

may laugh at the thought of swimming 
across the mighty ocean," and this my 
mind perceiveth, but my heart enfoldeth 
it not; yet it still aspireth to touch the 
moon. 

The Blessed One, referring to this song, said : 
See how Ramaprasad describes that books and 
reasoning cannot reveal' the Divine Mother. 
Faith is necessary. 

Reason is weak. Faith is omnipotent. Rea- 
The omnipo- son cannot go far enough and must 
tence of faith. stop s h ort f the goal. Faith will 

work wonders. 

There was a certain Brahmin priest who served 
in a household chapel. Once he went away 
The parable of leaving the charge of the service to 

a Brahmin his SQn Re told the b tQ lace 

priest and J r 

his boy. the daily offering of food before the 

Deity and see that He ate it. The boy, follow- 
ing the instructions of his father, placed the 
offering before the image and silently waited. 
But the image neither spoke nor ate. The boy 
watched for a long time. He had firm faith 
that the Deity would come down from the altar, 
take the seat before the offering and eat it. 
Then he prayed: "O Lord, come and eat. It is 

I2 5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

getting very late; I cannot wait any longer." 
But the Lord did not speak. Then the boy 
began to cry, saying: " Lord, my father told me 
to see that Thou didst eat the offering. Why 
dost Thou not come. Thou comest to my 
father and eatest his offering. What have I 
done that Thou dost not come to me and eat 
my offering?" He cried bitterly and for a 
long time. Then as "he looked up at the seat, 
he saw the Deity in a human form eating the 
offering. When the service was ended and the 
boy came out, the members of the household 
said to him, "If the service is over, bring out 
the offering." The boy replied: "Yes, but the 
Lord has eaten everything." In amazement 
they asked : ' ' What did you say ? ' ' With abso- 
lute innocence the boy repeated: "Why, the 
Lord has eaten all that I offered." Then they 
entered the chapel and were dumbfounded at 
the sight of the empty dishes. Such is the 
power of true faith and true yearning! 

Yes, faith will enable a man to cross the 
mighty ocean itself without the least difficulty. 
In the epic Ramayana it is said : Rama Chandra 
(God Incarnate) worked hard to throw a bridge 
over the part of the sea separating Lanka (Cey- 
lon) from the mainland of India. But as if 

126 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA , 

to prove the majesty, the omnipotence of faith, 
He gave it to His Bhakta, the great Hanuman,* 
to jump across the ocean by the unaided power 
of faith. 

It is also told that once a Bhakta, a friend 
of Vibhishana,f wanted to go across the sea. 
Vibhishana, to whom he appealed for help, had 
the name of Rama (God) written on a leaf, 
without the knowledge of his friend. He then 
said to the Bhakta: "Take this and be careful 
that you have it tied to the end of your cloth. 
It will enable you to walk across the ocean in 
safety. But mind, never look inside, for you 
will go under the water if you open it." The 
Bhakta put faith in his friend's words and 
walked on the ocean in safety for some time, 
but unfortunately his curiosity became his 
enemy. He wanted to see what precious thing 
Vibhishana had given him that had the power 

* Hanuman was a great devotee of Rama who, by the power 
of his absolute faith in the Lord, jumped across the ocean 
from India to Lanka. He is regarded by the Hindus as the 
Ideal Bhakta of India. 

f Vibhishana was the brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka, 
(Ceylon) who was defeated by Rama, as described in the 
Hindu epic Ramayana. He became a devoted disciple of 
Rama and followed His instructions as long as he lived. 

127 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

of taking him unhurt over the mighty deep. 
When he opened it he discovered a leaf with the 
name of Rama written on it. He thought what 
a trifling thing it was; no sooner did that 
thought arise in his mind than he was 
drowned. 

Those who belong to this class of Jivas cannot 
easily have faith in God, but those who are born 
with Divine qualities possess the highest faith 
naturally. When Prahlada * tried to write 
the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, "K," it 
brought up before his mind the name Krishna, 
and he began to cry. The natural tendency 
of a Jiva is to doubt and to become sceptical. 
Hazra f will not believe in the truth that Brah- 
man and Divine Mother, the Absolute and His 
Energy, are one and the same. Yet, faith is 
omnipotent. Before it all the powers of nature 
shrink and give way. It carries one over seas 
and mountains with perfect ease. Sin and 

* Prahlada was a great Bhakta who, from his childhood, 
showed his extreme faith, love and devotion for the Supreme 
Lord of the universe. He is the Ideal Bhakta among the 
Hindus. His life is described in the Puranas. 

t Hazra was a moral householder who afterwards devoted 
his life in search after God. He became an ascetic and pre- 
ferred to travel along the path of Jnana. 

128 s 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

iniquity, worldliness and ignorance all vanish 
before true faith. 

The Bhagavan sang: 

The Name of the Lord 

i. O my Divine Mother, if I die with Thy hal- 
lowed name (Durga, Durga) on my lips. 
Then in the end, O Giver of all Bliss, shall it 
be seen whether Thou savest Thy poor 
child drowning in the ocean of sin. 

2. I might have slain a cow or a Brahmin or an 

unborn child! 
I might be a drunkard, nay more, the slayer 

of a woman ! 
But of all these dire sins I have not the 

slightest fear. 
Through faith in Thy Holy Name I can 

reach the highest bliss of Brahman. 

Yes, faith is at the root of all spiritual prog- 
ress. Thou canst do without all other things, 
only thou must have faith. Have but faith in 
the Lord and thou shalt become at once free 
from the vilest, the blackest, of all sins. 

The one thing needed is faith and Bhakti — 
love, devotion, pray erf ulness, self -surrender. It 

129 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is exceedingly difficult, especially in this age, 
for a man with his limited faculties to come to 
my Mother through Vichara (discriminatoin of 
the Real Brahman from the unreal phenome- 
nal universe), unaided by the Divine Person. 
Verily has Prasad, the "Sweet Psalmist" of 
Bengal, laid stress on this difficulty in his 
well-known song: 

The Divine Mother and the Absolute 
Brahman 

i. Like a mad man, O mind, what seekest thou 
in the dark room ? 
He (Divine Being) cometh in deep medita- 
tion; without that, who can approach 
Him? * 

2. The moon of desire still shineth in thy secret 

chamber. 
First bring it under control with all thy 
might. It will hide itself at the dawn of 
Divine wisdom. 

3. Holding this as the ideal, the great Yogi 

practiseth meditation for ages. When 
realization cometh it attracts the soul as 
a magnet draws unto itself a piece of iron. 
130 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

4. Thou shalt not find It in the Six Schools of 

Philosophy, in the Vedas, Tantras or in 
the Holy Scriptures. It loveth the sweet- 
ness of true devotion (Bhakti) and abideth 
in the body with everlasting Bliss. 

5. Prasad says: O mind, shall I disclose in pub- 

lic (Chdtor) the true nature of that which 
I worship as my Divine Mother? Guess 
and understand it from these hints. 

There was a deep silence at the close of this 
song, which had been listened to with rapt 
attention. Everyone was moved. 

At the end of this song the Bhagavan was 
once more found to be in that indescribable 
Rama- state of Sam&dhi. His sweet divine 

krishna's voice became still. His eyes re- 
samadhi. ma i ne d fixed and steadfast. But his 
spiritual eye was feasting on the beatific Vision 
of the Divine Glory! There was left just enough 
of self -consciousness to bring the soul face to 
face with the Divine Mother. This blessed 
Vision the Bhagavan enjoyed for a long time. 
His face was radiant with celestial light and ex- 
pressed by sweet smiles the unbounded happi- 
ness which He was enjoying within Himself, and 

J 3i 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

in His semiconscious state He uttered these 
words : 

Bhakti, or devotion, means whole-hearted love 
for the Lord. The Absolute Brahman is called 
what is "Divine Mother" by the Psalmist. 

Bhakti? Prasad asks his mind to understand 

it by hints ; He who is described in the Vedas as 
the Absolute Brahman is my Divine Mother; I 
am praying to Her. 

That which is the Absolute (Nirguna), im- 
personal beyond all attributes, is also the same 

Brahman im= aS ^ e P ersona l God who is with all 

personal and attributes and blessed qualities. The 
persona. Absolute Brahman again is insepa- 
rable from the Divine energy (Sakti). 

The term "Brahman" refers to that aspect 
of Divinity which is impersonal and which is 
beyond all activity. But when we think of 
Him as creating, preserving and destroying all 
phenomena, then we call Him the Personal 
God, Divine Mother or Kali. 

In reality there is no distinction between 
"Brahman," or the Impersonal Absolute, and 
Brahman and "Sakti," the Divine Mother. The 
Sakti are one. Brahman and the Sakti are one just 
as fire and its burning power are one. As by 
the word fire we understand its power of burn- 

J 3 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ing, so by the latter we know that it is the same 
as fire. By realizing the one both are realized. 

They are one just as much as milk and its 
whiteness are one. We cannot conceive the 
milk without the whiteness. 

They are one just as a gem and its brightness 
are one. We cannot conceive a gem without 
the brightness. 

They are one just as the serpent and its sinu- 
ous motion are one. We cannot conceive of the 
serpent without the serpentine movements. 

He who knows what " light " is has the knowl- 
edge of darkness also. He who has the concep- 
tion of the phenomenal world must have also 
some conception of the Absolute Noumenon. 
He who knows the Sakti, or the Personal aspect 
of the Absolute Being, knows also the Imper- 
sonal Brahman. Again, he who has realized 
the Absolute Noumenon has also realized the 
phenomenon. He who has realized Brahman 
has also realized the Personal God or Divine 
Mother (Sakti). 

This Divine Mother bestows the highest 

The power of knowledge of Brahman (Brahma- 

the Divine jnana) by bringing her devotee into 

the state of Samddhi. She it is who 

brings him down on the plane of sense-con- 

i33 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

sciousness and allows him to retain the sense of 
"I" and "me." 

By the power of my Divine Mother all mor- 
tals (Jiva) possess the sense of "I" and "mine." 
She again reveals to the soul of one who is in 
Samddhi, that all living beings, nay, the whole 
universe, is but the manifestation of the Divine 
Energy. 

It is She who makes one reach the Brahma- 
jnana, the highest knowledge of the Absolute, 
and She again makes another Her beloved 
devotee who surrenders himself to Her omnipo- 
tent Will. This truth is the great secret of all 
secrets. Therefore the Psalmist says: "Shall 
I disclose it in the Chatorl" 

Vidyasagara asked his friend who was sitting 
near by: '''Do you understand the meaning of 
ChatorV The friend replied: "I know that 
'Chattara' means a courtyard within a house." 

Vidyasagara: Exactly. It may also mean a 
public market-place. So Rama Prasad does 
not want to make this secret known to the 
public. 

Bhagavan with his smiling face spoke to 
Vidyasagara: "Oh, you are a Pandit, a great 
scholar, you must know all this." When I sing 
the praise of my Divine Mother I refer to the 

134 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

same Absolute Brahman. The term "Mother" 
is very sweet. Therefore I like to call Him 
"Mother." We must learn to love the Personal 
God (Iswara). Through love He can be easily 
attained. Love, devotion and faith are the 
most valuable. Listen to another song. The 
Bhagavan sang again : 

Love for the Divine Mother 

i. Ecstasy dawneth when I meditate upon my 
Divine Mother. 
As is the ardor of thought so is the attain- 
ment; but the root must be perfect faith. 

2. If the mind diveth into the sea of Bliss at 

the feet of my Mother, then is there fio 
further need of worship, rituals, sacrifice 
or repetition of the Lord's name. 

3. The devotee of the Divine Mother is free 

even in this life and doth enjoy everlasting 
Bliss. 

He who can dive into the sea of Bliss becomes 
immortal. The Lord is described in the Vedas 
The Lord the as ^ e Ocean of Immortal Bliss. 
Ocean of Whosoever enters into it becomes 

Immortality. free frQm death g ome peQple ^^ 

a wrong idea that too much meditation upon 

135 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the Absolute will unbalance the mind. No one 
becomes unbalanced by meditating upon the 
Absolute. 

Devotional exercises, rituals, ceremonials, 
sacrifices or the pouring of oblations into the 
sacred fire — such works are needless when true 
love for the Lord comes in the heart of the 
devotee. A fan is needed so long as there is no 
breeze. So when the breeze of Divine Love 
blows all ritualistic works become unnecessary. 

Referring to Vidyasagara the Bhagavan con- 
tinued: The works which you are doing are 

selfless works g° od works - If y° n can perform 
purify the them without seeking their result 
heart# and without thinking that you are 

the "doer," then it will be still better. The 
highest result of works done in this selfless man- 
ner is the attainment of true love for God. 
Such works purify the heart and bring God- 
consciousness in the end. But as your love for 
the Lord becomes more and more intense, your 
religious works will become less and less. A 
married woman diligently performs the house- 
hold duties, but she is not allowed to do any 
heavy work when she is about to give birth to 
her child. You are doing charitable works and 
other works for the good of humanity. In 

136 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

reality, however, they are of great help to your- 
self. They will purify your heart and bring 
unselfish love for God. Man has no power to 
Doing good do good to the world; the Lord 
to the world, doth everything. He who hath made 
the Sun and the moon, He who hath given 
affection in the hearts of parents, He who hath 
bestowed compassion upon the ,great souls, He 
who hath brought unselfish love and devotion 
in the hearts of saints and sages, doth every- 
thing for the good of His world ; who else hath 
the power to perform any good act? Whoso- 
ever performeth good works without holding 
any desire for their fruits will do good for him- 
self. 

There is gold inside, under the cover of earth. 
You have not discovered it yet. If you once 
realize this secret treasure your worldly duties 
will vanish and you will not care for other 
works, just as a mother loves nothing better 
than to fondle and kiss her new-born baby. 
Go onward and do not stop in one place. Re- 
member the parable * of the wood-cutter and 
stop not until the goal is reached. The goal is 
the realization of God. By His grace His true 

* See page 243. 
137 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

devotee can see Him and can talk with Him 
just as I am talking with you. 

Absolute silence prevailed when the Blessed 
Lord spoke these words with fire and eloquence. 
Everyone's heart was moved by that divine 
love which was flowing with mighty force with- 
in the soul of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna. 

With a smiling face the Bhagavan said: 
You know all that I have told, but you do not 
realize how much you possess, in the same man- 
ner as Varuna, the Lord of the ocean, does not 
care to know how many beautiful and valuable 
jewels there are in His boundless treasury of the 
deep. 

Vidyasagara: Revered Sir, Thou canst say so. 

Bhagavan : Yes ; do you not know that very 
often a millionaire Babu does not know even 
the names of his own attendants ? He does not 
remember in what places his valuable things are 
kept. 

Everyone was listening to this interesting 
conversation when Bhagavan suddenly asked 
Vidyasagara: "Will you not come to the Tem- 
ple garden? It is a beautiful place." 

Vidyasagara: O yes; certainly. Thou hast 
been so kind as to come to me, shall I not return 
my visit to Thee? 

*3* 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan: A visit to me! Oh, for shame! 
for shame ! 

Vidyasagara: My dear Sir, this from Thee! 
I wish to know why dost Thou say so ? 

Bhagavan: Well, we are like fishing-boats, 
Humility of small and light enough to row about 
Ramakrishna. on ponds, narrow canals or even on 
large rivers, but you are like a big steamer. Who 
can tell ? — you might founder on the sand-bank if 
you venture too far up the stream ; but now at this 
season steamers may go up without much danger. 

Vidyasagara: Oh I see; this is the rainy 
season. 

At about eight in the evening it was announced 
that the carriage was ready to take Sri Rama- 
krishna back to the Thakurbadi at Dakshines- 
wara. The Bhagavan became absent-minded for 
awhile; perhaps His mind was fixed upon the 
Divine Mother, or perhaps He was asking Her 
blessing upon His kind host. The Bhagavan 
then rose to bid him farewell and Vidyasagara, 
with a lighted candle in his hand, led the way 
down-stairs and through the compound of his 
house to the gate. Outside the gate a carriage 
was waiting to receive the honored guest and 
His devoted companions from the Thakurbadi. 
An unexpected sight greeted the eyes of the 

1 39 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

party as they came out. It was a man who 
might have been a little under forty standing 
before the gate with folded hands. He was 
dressed in white and wore a white turban on 
his head. He had a fair complexion and ex- 
pressive eyes and a smile was on his face. No 
sooner did he see the Bhagavan than he fell at 
His feet with his head touching the ground. 

The Bhagavan said: Is it you, Balaram? 
How is it that I find you here ? 

Balaram* replied, smiling: O Revered Sir, 
I have been waiting for some time here at the 
gate to see Thee. 

Bhagavan : Why did you not come in ? 

Balaram: I came late, so I would not inter- 
rupt Thee, but thought it better to stay here. 

The Bhagavan then stepped into the carriage 
with His companions. 

Vidyasagara asked a disciple : Shall I see the 
carriage hire paid? 

The disciple replied: No, Sir, you need not 

* Balaram Basu was a Hindu Zemindar in Calcutta. He 
was a true householder disciple of Ramakrishna. His house 
was blessed many a time by a visit of Ramakrishna and His 
beloved disciples. His whole family regard Ramakrishna 
as the Divine Incarnation in a human form. See Chapter 
XII. 

140 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

trouble yourself. It has already been paid by 
a friend. 

The Pandit then folded his hands and bent his 
head and body to make his Pranama (Saluta- 
Ramakrishna tion) to the Bhagavan. All assembled 
leaves Vidya= about the carriage did the same. 

sagara. The Httle group at the gat ^ with the 

venerable Vidyasagara at their head still hold- 
ing the lighted candle in his hand, stood for a 
while looking in the direction of the carriage, 
wondering who this God-intoxicated Man might- 
be, so wise yet so child-like, so full of joy, so 
sweet, so godly! Verily a Light come down to 
set ablaze the dry bones of a workaday world! 
Embodied Love, like the dew of heaven falling 
on the dry thirsty heart of man ! A Voice cry- 
ing unto sunken, self -weary man, "Thou must 
be born again and love!" A Healer from 
another clime of this strange disease of modern 
life! A Man among men, eager to solve for 
them the enigma of the universe ! 

141 



CHAPTER V 

DAY ON THE RIVER WITH KESHAB CHUNDER 
SEN* 



It was the day of the festival of Lakshmi.f 
Sri Ramakrishna was seated in His room talking 
with Bijoy aud Haralal, when a gentleman 
entered and announced that Keshab Sen had 

* Keshab Chunder Sen was the third great Brahmo Samaj 
leader after Raja Rammohun Roy. He was born in 1838 
and died in 1884 a.d. 

In 1858 he became a member of the Adi Brahmo Samaj. 
In 1866 he founded a new branch under the name of Bharata- 
varshiya Brahmo Samaj, which was afterwards known as 
the church of the "New Dispensation." 

In 1870 he came to England to propagate his mission. 
He was an eloquent preacher and orator. He accepted a 
great many of the teachings of Ramakrishna and regarded 
Him as one who had constant communion with Brahman. 

f Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and prosperity. 
142 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

come on board a steamer which had just landed 
and was lying at anchor before the Ghat. A 
short while after Keshab's disciples came in 
and bowed down before the Bhagavan, saying: 
" Keshab Babu has sent us to Thee with the 
Ramakrishna request that Thou wilt kindly join 
goes on board him, if it so please Thy Holiness." 
the steamer, g^ R ama k r i snna consented and, 

accompanied by several of His devotees, 
was taken by Keshab's disciples to the 
steamer. 

As the small boat which carried the Bhagavan 
came alongside, everybody was eager to have a 
glimpse of the Blessed One and crowded to the 
gangway. Keshab was anxious to see that 
He got on board in safety. Mahendra,* who 
had been there for some time, looked at Him 
Ramakrish= and noticed that He was in Samadhi 
na's ecstasy. an( j as motionless as a statue. It 
was with great difficulty that He was brought 
back to sense-consciousness once more in order 
to be taken into the cabin on the upper deck. 
The state of Divine ecstasy had not entirely 
left Him even then. He leaned on a disciple 
as He was led to the cabin. His body moved 

* See note page 33. 
143 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

mechanically, but His mind was fixed on God. 
When He had entered the cabin, Keshab and 
others bowed at His feet. But what little sense- 
consciousness remained now began to leave 
Him. Inside the cabin were a bench, a table 
and a few chairs. The Bhagavan was seated 
on one of the chairs; Keshab also took a chair 
and Bijoy, another. Other devotees, most of 
them Brahmos, sat on the bare floor. The 
cabin being a small one, many remained 
standing at the door or at the windows look- 
ing in eagerly. The Bhagavan was abso- 
lutely devoid of outer consciousness. Every- 
body was watching His face. Keshab noticed 
that so large a number of people had come 
together in the cabin that the Bhagavan was 
in need of air. The devotees all gazed with 
fixed eyes. After a time the Bhagavan came 
down from His Samadhi, but the consciousness 
of the Divine Presence was as intense as before. 
He talked to the Mother of the universe in 
words that were scarcely articulate, saying: 
11 Mother, why hast Thou brought me here? 
They are hedged around and are not free! Is 
it indeed possible for me to save them out of 
their prison house ?" 

A Brahmo said to the Bhagavan: Sir, these 
144 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRlSHNA 

gentlemen have been fortunate enough to see 
Powhari Baba Powhari Baba * at Gazipur. The 
ofGazipur. Baba is another holy man like Thy 
revered self. 

Sri Ramakrishna had not yet recovered the 
power of speech. His heart wa° full and He 
could not speak, but only smiled on the good 
man who talked of the Baba. The Brhmo 
continued: Sir, Powhari Baba has Thy photo- 
graph, which he has put up in his room. 

The Bhagavan smiled again, pointing to His 

body with His finger and in a subdued tone said : 

A pillow-case! It is nothing but a 

Devotee's 

heart the pillow-case. But there is one thing 
temple of ^ Q be borne in mind : the heart of the 
devotee is the temple of the Lord. 
It is indeed a fact that the Lord is more or 
less manifest in all things, but He is manifest 
in a special sense in the heart of a devotee 
(Bhakta). Thus a Zemindar may be met at 
any of the houses of which he is the owner; 

* Powhari Baba was a great Vaishnava Saint who lived 
for many years in an underground cave near Gazipur. The 
name " Powhari," which literally means "one who lives 
on air," was given to him because he could live for months 
without eating or drinking anything. He was regarded by 
all as the greatest Vaishnava Saint of the age. 

145 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

yet people will say that he is usually to be seen 
in some particular drawing-room. The heart 
of the devotee is the Lord's drawing-room. 
If one wishes to meet the Lord, one would 
better seek an audience in the drawing-room. 

The same Being whom the followers of non- 
dualistic (Advaita) Vedanta call Brahman, the 
Various as= Absolute, is called Atman (Self) by 
pectsof the the Yogis, and Bhagavan, or the Per- 

Brahman. sQnal Go(J with Divine attributes, 

by the devotees, or Bhaktas (lovers of God). 
The high-caste Brahmin is always the same 
person; but when he worships the Lord, he is 
called a priest ; and when the same man is em- 
ployed in the kitchen, he is called a cook. 

The follower of monistic (Advaita) Vedanta, 
who seeks to realize the Absolute Brahman, dis- 
— . . criminates, savins:: "Not this, not 

Discnmina= J & 

tionofan this." That is, the Absolute is not 

Advaitin. this> nQt that ^ not any finite ob j ect> 

not the individual soul, not the external world. 
When, as the result of this kind of reasoning, the 
heart ceases to be moved by desires; when, in 
fact, the mind is merged in superconsciousness, 
then Brahma-jnana is reached. One who has 
truly attained to this Brahma-jnana realizes 
that Brahman the Absolute alone is real, and the 

146 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

world is unreal, and that all names and forms 
are like dreams. What Brahman is cannot be 
described by word of mouth nor can one even 
say that He is personal. Such is the point of 
view of a non-dualist.' 

The dualistic devotees and lovers of the 
Personal God (Bhaktas),on the contrary, accept 
Bhakta's all states as real. Unlike the non- 
attitude, dualists, they look upon the waking 
state as a reality and they do not hold that the 
external world is like a dream. They say that 
the external world is the glory of the Lord. 
The heavens, stars, moon, mountains, ocean, 
men, birds and beasts, all these He has created. 
He manifests His glory by these. He is both 
within and without. He dwells in our hearts. 
The most advanced Bhaktas say that the Lord 
Himself manifests as the twenty-four categories 
of the Sankhya philosophy, that He appears as 
the individual soul and the external world. A 
Bhakta wishes to enjoy communion with his 
Lord and not to become one with Him. His 
desire is not to become sugar, but to taste of 

The innermost^' D ° Y° n knoW what are the 

feelings of a innermost thoughts and feelings 

true Bhakta. Qf a tme devotee ? He sayg . mq 

Lord! Thou art the Master, I am Thy servant. 

i47 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Thou art my Mother, and I am Thy child"; 

or again : ' ' Thou art my Child and I am Thy 

father or Thy mother"; or thus: "Thou art the 

Whole and I am Thy part." The dualistic 

devotee does not wish to say, "I am Brahman." 

A Raja Yogi also seeks to realize the Universal 

Being. His object is to bring the finite human 

soul into communion with the infinite 

Spirit. He tries first to collect his 

mind which is scattered in the world of senses, 

and then seeks to fix it on the Universal Spirit ; 

hence the necessity of meditating on Him in 

solitude and in a posture which causes no 

distraction. 

But all these various ideals are of one and 
the same Brahman, the difference being only 
Different as= in the names. It is the same Being 
pects of God. wn om men call by the name of the 
Absolute (Brahman), the Universal Spirit, 
the Impersonal God, or the Personal God with 
Divine attributes. 

ii 

The steamer had already started and was on 
its way to Calcutta. Many there were who 
looked on Sri Ramakrishna with eyes that did 
not move, and who drank the nectar of the words 

148 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that dropped from His hallowed lips. They did 
not perceive that the steamer was in motion. 
The Temple garden of Kali had faded from 
sight. Beneath were the sacred waters which 
reflected the blue firmament above, but the 
murmur of the waves fell unheeded on the ears 
of the devotees. The magic of the blessed 
vision had thrown a charm over them. They 
beheld before them a wonderful Being, a God- 
in-Man and a Man-in-God, with smiles playing 
on His sweet face, radiant with the joy of the 
Lord, and with eyes enhanced in beauty by the 
collyrium of Divine Love. They gazed as if 
spell-bound, on One who had given up the 
world and its pleasures, on One intoxicated 
with the Love of the Lord and who looked not 
for anything except the Lord. 

Sri Ramakrishna: The followers of Advaita 
Vedanta maintain that creation, preservation, 
The world as and dissolution, the individual ego, 
a dream. ifo external world, all these are mani- 
festations of the Eternal Energy (Sakti). They 
also say that when these are properly analyzed, 
they appear as dreams, that the Absolute Brah- 
man alone is the Reality, and all else is unreal. 
Even eternal Energy (Sakti) is like a dream, 

unreal; but you may analyze and discriminate 

149 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

thousands of times, you cannot transcend the 
realm of Divine Energy (Sakti) unless you have 
reached the highest state of Samadhi, super- 
fhe realm of consciousness. The very thoughts 
the Divine like : "J am meditating, ' ' ' ' I am 
Energy. thinking on the Absolute," are within 

the realm of Sakti. They are the manifested 
powers of that Eternal Energy. Therefore the 
Absolute Brahman and the Eternal Energy are 
inseparable and one. The existence of one im- 
plies that of the other, as fire and its burning 
power. If you admit the existence of fire, how 
can you deny its burning power? No one can 
think of fire without thinking of its 

Relation be- . a • 1 

tweenBran- burning power. Again, the power 
man and f burning cannot be conceived as 
separate from fire. In the same 
manner, we cannot think of the rays of the sun, 
without thinking of the sun himself. Again, 
we cannot think of the sun without thinking of 
his rays. Therefore, no one can think of Brah- 
man as apart from Sakti, or Sakti as separate 
from Brahman. Likewise, no one can conceive 
of the phenomenal as independent of the Abso- 
lute, or of the Absolute as apart from the phe- 
nomenal. The same Eternal Energy, the Mother 
of all phenomena, is creating, preserving, and 

150 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

destroying everything. She is called Kali, the 
Divine Mother. Kali is Brahman, Brahman is 
Kali, one and the same Being. I call Him 
Brahman when He is absolutely inactive; that 
is, when He neither creates, nor preserves, nor 
destroys phenomena ; but when He performs all 
such actions, I call Him Kali, the Eternal En- 
ergy, the Divine Mother. They are one and the 
same Being, the difference is in name and form, 
just as the same substance water is called by 
different names in different languages, such as 
jal, aqua, pani, etc. Yes, the Being is the same, 
One God has only the names are different under 
many names, different aspects — like the same sub- 
stance expressed in different languages, such as 
jal, water and pani. A tank may have four 
Ghats (landing-places with steps). The Hindus 
drink at one Ghat and call it jal; the Moham- 
medans drink at another and call it pani ; while 
the English who drink at a third call it water. 
Similarly, God is One, only His names are 
different. Some call Him by the name of 
Allah, some God, some Brahman, others 
Kali, others again Rama, Hari, Jesus, 
Buddha. 

Keshab, smiling: Please tell us once more, 
Revered Sir, in what different ways Kali, the 

151 



[GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Mother of the Universe, is making Herself mani- 
fest in this world of Her sports. 

Sri Ramakrishna, smiling: Oh, the Mother 

sports with the world, Her toy, under various 

aspects and names. Now She is the 

The Mother _.%,„ ... . ., ^ 

of the God Unconditioned, Absolute, Form- 

universe and i ess (Maha-Kali) : now the Everlast- 

Her sports. . . . 

mg as distinguished from Her works 
(Nitya-Kali). Under another aspect She is the 
Goddess of burning Ghats or crematories, the 
dreaded Being who presides over death (Smasan- 
Kali) ; now again does She stand before us ready 
to bless, to preserve Her children (Rakshya- 
Kali) ; under another aspect She appears pleasing 
to the eye of Her devotees as the Mother with 
the dark blue color, Consort of the God of Eter- 
nity and Infinity. Maha-Kali and Nitya-Kali 
are described in the sacred books, the Tantras: 
"When nothing was — neither sun, nor moon, 
nor planets, nothing but Darkness Deep, there 
was alone my Divine Mother, Formless, the 
Eternal Consort of the Infinite." As Mother 
with the dark blue color (Syama) , She is tender 
and loving. She is the bestower of all blessings 
and makes Her children fearless; She is wor- 
shipped in the Hindu household. As Preserver 
She appears in times of plague, famine, earth- 

i5 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

quake, drought or flood. At cemeteries, burn- 
ing Ghats or crematories She appears in the 
form of the Destroyer. The dead body, the 
jackal, the spirits of destruction are Her terrible 
companions. She lives in the midst of those 
horrible scenes, of those fearful environments. 
Streams of blood, a garland of skulls thrown 
round Her neck, a girdle made of the hands 
of those that are dead, are the symbols that 
mark Her as the dread Mother, as the All- 
Destroyer. 

Now look at Her mode of creation. At the 
end of a cycle, upon the destruction of the 
Creation of world, my Mother, good Matron that 
the world. gh e j s> p U ^ s together the seeds of 
creation. The mistress of a house has a hodge- 
podge pot of her own in which to keep sundry 
things for household use. (Ramakrishna, smil- 
ing) Yes, my friends, that is indeed so. The 
mistress of a house has such a pot in her posses- 
sion. In it are kept the ''sea-foam" in a solid 
state, small parcels containing seeds of the 
cucumber, gourd, and so on. She brings them 
out when wanted. In much the same way my 
Mother keeps the seeds of creation after the 
destruction of the world at the end of a 
cycle, « 

i53 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

My Mother, the Primal Divine Energy, is both 
Divine Mother within and without this phenomenal 
omnipresent. wor ld. Having given birth to the 
world, She lives within it. In the Vedas we find 
Divine Mother, the illustration of a spider and its 
the material we b she is the spider and the 
instrumental world is the web that She has woven. 
cause. The spider brings the phenomenal 

web out of herself and then lives on it. My 
Mother is both the Container and the Contained. 

Is Kali, the Divine Mother, black? * She looks 
black from a distance, but when realized, She 
Kali, why is not black. The sky looks blue 
black? from a distance, but look at it near 

you, it has no color. The water of the ocean 
is blue from a distance. Take a little up in 
the hand, and it has no color. 

Saying this, the Bhaga van became intoxicated 
with Divine Love, and began to sing: 

"Is my Divine Mother black? 

O mind! What dost thou say? 
Though black, She with Her flowing hair 
Illumines the lotus of the heart.' ' 

Bondage and freedom, of both She is the 
maker. Through Her inscrutable power of 

*54 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Maya a man of the world becomes bound by 
The power of woman and gold. Again, through Her 
the Divine grace he becomes free. She breaks 
Mother. all fetters and takes Her children 

across the ocean of the world ; and the Bhagavan 
sang in His divine voice : 

The Divine Mother and the Liberated Soul 

i. O Mother, Thou art flying the paper kite (of 
the human being) in the market-place of 
this world. 
It flies on the wind of hope, tied to the string 

of Maya. 

2. Ribs, nerves and bones make up its frame, 
Of Thine own qualities hast Thou made the 

Kite, to display Thine art. 

3. Thou hast rubbed the string with the Manja 

(paste with powdered glass) of worldli- 

ness, and it has become sharp. 
Among hundred thousand Kites one or two 

have their strings cut, and are freed; 
Then with a laugh Thou clappest Thy hands. 

4. Prasad says, The Kite thus set free will fly 

swiftly on fair winds and drop beyond the 
ocean of this world. 

*55 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Sri Ramakrishna continuing: My Divine 
Mother is playful. The world indeed is Her 
Divine sport. She does what She will and 

Mother's is blissful. It is Her pleasure to give 

freedom to one among a hundred 
thousand of Her children. 

A Brahmo: Sir, She can, if She pleases, set 
every body free. Why is it then that She has 
bound us hand and foot with the chains of the 
world ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: Well, I suppose it is Her 
will. Her will is to play with all these things. 
In the game of Hide-and-Seek, whoever touches 
the Grand-dame is out. He no longer runs 
about. If all the players touch the Grand- 
dame at the same time, how can there be any 
game? The Grand-dame would not like it; 
for she is pleased to have the play go on. 

And the Bhagavan, placing Himself in the 
position of a man of the world laying the 
trouble of his heart before the Mother, 
sang: 

The Divine Mother and Her Children 

i. This is the grief for which I grieve. 

When Thou, O Mother, art here, thieves 
(passions) rob me though I am wide awake. 
156 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

2. I promise to repeat Thy Holy Name, but at 

the proper hour I forget. 
Now I have learnt and felt that all this is 
Thy trick. 

3. Thou hast not given, so Thou hast not re- 

ceived aught to eat or to keep. Am I to 
be blamed for this ? 
Hadst Thou given, Thou wouldst surely 
have received; and I would have offered 
Thy gifts to Thee. 

4. Fame or calumny, sweet or bitter — all is 

Thine. 
O Ruler of all feelings, abiding in them, why 
dost Thou hinder when I enjoy sweet 
ecstasy? 

5 Prasad says: Thou hast given me a mind, 
but by a glance of Thine eye Thou hast so 
bent it, that I roam through this world, 
Thy creation, seeking joy but mistaking 
bitter for sweet (unreal for Real). 

Man has forgotten his true Self and has be- 
Delusive come worldly by the delusive power 

power of of Maya. Therefore Prasad says : 
* a>a "Thou hast given me a mind, but by 

a glance of Thine eye Thou hast so bent it that 

T 57 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

I roam through this world, Thy creation, seek- 
ing joy but mistaking bitter for sweet." 

A Brahmo: Revered Sir, is it true that God 
cannot be realized without giving up the 
world ? 

The Bhagavan, smiling: Oh no! You do not 
have to give up everything. You are better off 

Renunciation where Y 0U are « % Hving in the 

not necessary world you are enjoying the taste 
both of the pure crystallized sugar 
and of the molasses with all its impurities. 
You are indeed better off. Verily I say unto 
you, you are living in the world, there is no 
harm in that; but you will have to fix your 
mind on God, otherwise you cannot realize 
Him, Work with one hand and hold the Feet 
of the Lord with the other. When you have 
finished your work, fold His feet to your heart 
with both your hands. 

Everything is in the mind. Bondage and 
freedom are in the mind. You can dye the 
Power of the mind with any color you wish. It is 
mind. \[]^ e a pi ece G f clean white linen; 

dip it in red and it will be red, in blue it will 
be blue, in green it will be green, or any other 
color. Do you not see that if you study English, 
English words will come readily to you ? Again, 

158 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

if a Pandit studies Sanskrit, he will readily 
quote verses from Sacred Books. If you keep 
your mind in evil company, your thoughts, 
ideas and words will be colored with evil; but 
keep in the company of Bhaktas, then your 
thoughts, ideas and words will be of God. 
The mind is everything. On one side is the wife, 
on the other side is the child; it loves the wife 
in one way and the child in another way, yet 
the mind is the same. 

By the mind one is bound ; by the mind one 
is freed. If I think I am absolutely free, whether 
I live in the world or in the forest, where is my 
bondage? I am the child of God, the son of 
the King of kings; who can bind me? When 
bitten by a snake, if you assert with firmness, 
"There is no venom in me," you will be cured. 
In the same way, he who asserts with strong 
conviction ''I am not bound, I am free," be- 
comes free. 

Some one gave me a book of the Christians. 

I asked him to read it to me. In it there was 

only one theme — sin and sin, from the 

Sense of sin. 

beginning to the end. (To Keshab) 
In your Brahmo-Samaj the main topic is also 
sin. The fool who repeats again and again, "I 
am bound, I am bound," remains in bondage. 

J 59 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

He' who repeats day and night, "I am a 
sinner, I am a sinner," becomes a sinner 
indeed. 

It is necessary to have absolute faith in the 
Name of the Lord. ''What! I have uttered 
Saving ^ s Holy Name, can there still be sin 

power of in me? Can I still be in bondage?" 
Gods name. j£ r j s j- Kishore was a pious Hindu, 
a Brahmin of Brahmins, who worshipped the 
Lord with single-minded devotion. He went to 
Vrindavan. One day, while visiting the shrines, 
he felt very thirsty. He went to a well, and 
finding a man standing there, he asked him: 
"My man, can you draw some water for me?" 
The man replied: "O holy sir, I belong to a 
low class, that of a cobbler." Kristo Kishore 
thereupon said to him: "It matters not. You 
say 'Shiva' (the Holy Name of the Lord) and 
draw the water for me." 

By repeating the blessed Name of God, man's 
body, mind and soul become absolutely pure. 
Why talk of sin and hell-fire? Repeat but once, 
"I shall never again do the evil deeds that I 
have committed in the past," and by thy faith 
in His Hallowed Name thou shalt be freed from 
all sins. 

I used to pray to my Divine Mother for true 
1 60 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

devotion (Bhakti) alone. With flowers in my 
Prayer to clasped hands, I prayed: "Do Thou, 
the Divine O Mother, grant that I may have 
pure and unalloyed devotion. Here 
is sin, here again is virtue; I lay them at Thy 
feet ; Oh take them both. Here is knowledge (of 
many things) , here again is ignorance ; Oh take 
them both and grant that I may have devotion 
alone. Here is purity and here again is im- 
purity ; I desire neither of them. Here are good 
works, here are bad; both I lay at Thy feet; 
Oh grant that I may have devotion alone and 
love for Thee.' 1 

One living in the world may also see God . It 
was the case with Raja Janaka, the great royal 
Example of devotee, who realized while on the 
Janaka. throne that the world was a structure 

of dreams. For a lover of God, however, such 
is not the feeling. And the Bhagavan sang : 

He who has attained to Bhakti or true de- 
votion to the Lord says : 

"This world is the abode of happiness; 
I eat, drink and enjoy its pleasures. 
Janaka Raja was a great potentate; 

In what was he lacking? 
He harmonized God and the world 
And tasted the jovs of both." 
161 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

No one can suddenly become like Janaka. 
Raja Janaka performed great penances and 
Value of austerities in solitude for many long 
solitude. years. Even when living in the 

world one should occasionally go into solitude. 
It will bring great good to one who can sincerely 
and earnestly cry for God three days and three 
nights in solitude, alone. Indeed, one day 
passed in that way would be a ^reat gain. 
People will shed a jarful of tears for wives and 
children, but who weeps one tear for the Lord? 
It is necessary to practise every now and then 
devotional exercises in solitude. A worldly- 
minded aspirant absorbed in various works and 
duties finds in the first stage of his spiritual life 
a great number of obstacles in the path of self- 
control and devotion. As a young tree planted 
on the foot-path needs a fence around it that it 
may not be eaten up by sheep and cattle, so in 
the first stage of a spiritual aspirant, a fence is 
necessary, but when the tree grows large and 
the trunk and roots are thicker and stronger., 
no fence is required. Then it is not injured 
even if an elephant be tied to it. 

The disease of a worldly man is of a serious 
type; his organs with their functions are en- 
tirely out of order. Would you keep a large 

162 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA # 

water-jar and savory pickles in the same room in 
Solitude a which a patient with typhoid fever 
remedy for was lying? If you wish to cure such 

worldliness. , • , « V. 4 • 

a patient, you must nave him re- 
moved from that room, in case it is impossible 
to send away the jar and the pickles. A man 
of the world is like unto such a thirsty patient; 
worldly attractions are like the jar of wate:; 
sense objects are like the savory pickles; desire 
to enjoy those things is the patient's thirst. 
The mouth waters at the mere thought of 
the pickles. We should not therefore remain 
near them all the time. Hence solitude is the 
best remedy for worldliness. First acquire 
right discrimination and true dispassion and 
then live in the world. In the sea of the world 
there are crocodiles of passions and desires. 
Rub the body with turmeric -paste if you wish 
to bathe in the sea, for then crocodiles will do 
no harm to you. The turmeric is discrimina- 
tion (of the Real from the unreal) and true dis- 
passion. God is the only Reality, the phenom- 
enal universe is unreal. 

Along with this another thing is needed, that 
is intense devotion to God. The Gopis * of 

* The milkmaids of Vrindavan who loved the Lord Sri 
163 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Vrindavan had such devotion. They had an 
intense devo= intense love for Sri Krishna, God 
tion necessary. Incarnate. 

The Bhagavan then said to Keshab and other 
devotees with great feeling: You are Brahmos; 
you believe that God is formless and you do 
not believe in God Incarnate. Well, it matters 
not. You need not accept Radha and Sri 
Krishna as Incarnations of the Supreme Being; 
but the intense love and yearning which the 
Gopis felt for Sri Krishna is a thing which you 
may well make your own, for yearning is the 
next step leading to God-vision. 

iii 

It was ebb-tide. The steamer was going 
fast down-stream towards Calcutta. It had 
got to the other side of the Howrah Bridge within 
sight of the Botanical Gardens, The Captain 
had orders to go a little farther down. How 

Krishna, then living among them as a shepherd-hoy. When 
eleven years old He left Vrindavan. Sri Krishna is looked 
upon as an Incarnation of God. He loved and was loved by 
everyone. He is the Impersonation of Divine Love. Vrin- 
davan is the sacred forest near Mathura in India where the 
shepherd Krishna played his boyish sports with boys and 
girls and performed many miracles. 

164 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

far the steamer had actually proceeded was not 
known to those who were listening to Sri Rama- 
krishna and watching His movements. They 
listened with such rapt attention that they had 
no idea either of time or of distance. 

Keshab now offered the Bhagavan purled 
rice with the kernel of the cocoanut. All 
present were invited to partake of these. They 
took them in the folds of their cloth, ate and 
were very happy. It seemed as if a festival 
were being held on board the steamer. The 
Bhagavan noticed that Bijoy and Keshab were 
not quite at home in each other's presence. 
He wished to see them make up their difference, 
for was not His mission to bring peace and good- 
will among men? He said to Keshab: 

Look, my dear sir, here is Bijoy. As to your 
quarrels, well, do not worry yourselves on 
their account. There was fighting even be- 
tween Shiva and Rama. Shiva was Rama's 
spiritual Guru. After a little fighting, they 
made it up and became once more as good 
friends as ever. But the fighting went on among 
their followers. The gibbering of the ghosts 
and the chattering of the monkeys could not 
so easily be quieted down. You too will be 
very good friends, once again. But your fol- 

165 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

lowers, I dare say, will follow your example. 
These differences, you know, are things that 
cannot be avoided. There was the tug of war 
even between father and son. Take the case 
of Rama and his sons Laba and Kusha. Take 
another case: The mother fasts on Tuesday 
for the welfare of her daughter, but the daughter, 
quarrelling with the mother, fasts on Tuesday 
for her own welfare, as if her welfare were 
different from that gained by her mother's 
fasting. In the same way, you, Keshab, have 
a religious society (Samaj) of your own, and 
Bijoy, too, must have a separate society of his 
own. Well, there is room for all kinds of things 
under Providence — even for quarrels and dif- 
ferences. When God-Incarnate (Krishna) Him- 
self appeared at Vrindavan, the question may 
well be asked : Why did Jatilla and Kutilla stand 
in the way of His mission of love? I suppose 
His sport as a Divine Lover would have died a 
natural death from want of nourishment but for 
these obstructions, the jatillas and Kutillas. 
Opposition adds zest to a thing. Ramanuja* 
held the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita (qualified 
non-dualism). His Guru (spiritual guide), how- 

* See note page 370. 
166 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ever, was an Advaitist (non-dualist without any 
qualification). They had their differences. 
Master and disciple disputed and refuted each 
other's opinions. This is natural. Be it so; 
still to the master the disciple is always his own. 
They all rejoiced. Sri Ramakrishna said to 
Keshab: You do not study and examine the 

The nature of nSi ^ nre °f yo ur disciples. For that 
disciples must reason they drop away. All men 
be examined. look ^j^ but they differ in their 

nature. In some the Sattwa quality is pre' 
dominant, in others Rajas, and in the rest 
Tamas. Pooh (cakes) all look alike on the 
outside, but the contents vary; some may con- 
tain sweet thickened cream, others cocoanut 
sweetened with sugar, while others may have 
boiled Kalai (pulse) with no sweetening. 

Do you know how I feel about it? Like a 
child I eat, drink and play, depending on my 
Divine Mother, who knows everything. These 
three words prick me : Guru (spiritual master) , 
Karta, (the Lord), and Baba (father). I cannot 
God the one bear them. The infinite Existence- 
master. Intelligence-Bliss is the one Guru for 
all. He trill teach everybody. I am only His 
child. 

It is a difficult task to teach others. One 
167 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

can become a true spiritual teacher only when 

who is a true one ^ as rea ^ ze( i God and received a 
spiritual Divine commission from Him. So 

teacher? commissioned were Narada,* Suka- 

deva and Sankaracharya.f If you are not com- 
missioned, who will listen to you? You know 
Calcutta and her fondness for the latest sensa- 
tion. Milk puffs up so long as it is over burning 
wood; but when the wood is withdrawn, the 
puffing ceases instantly. The people of Cal- 
cutta are fond of new sensations. They say 
they want water and they begin to dig a well 
at one place; but they give it up as soon as 
they find that the earth is hard and stony. 
They then set to work to dig at another place. 
Suppose the soil is sandy there; they will as 
readily give up digging at that spot. They will 
look about for another locality. That is the 
way with these people. Their good opinion is 
by no means worth having. 

* Narada. In the Hindu Scriptures Narada is described 
as the Ideal lover of God. He communed with the Lord 
under all conditions. The Lord Vishnu selected him as His 
most beloved messenger. 

f Sankaracharya was the commentator of the "Vedanta 
Sutras" and the greatest exponent of the Advaita (monistic) 
Vedanta. He lived in India in the eighth century a.d. 

i 68 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Divine commission cannot be obtained by 
mere imagination. Verily I say, the Lord can 
Divine com- be realized and He will speak to thee. 
mission. Then thou mayest receive His com- 

mission. What great power lies in such Divine 
command! By it mountains may be shaken to 
their foundation. What can a mere ordinary 
lecture do? People may listen to it for a time, 
but they will soon forget it. It will not produce 
a lasting impression and they will not live 
according to it. 

For the teaching of Divine truths a badge of 
authority is indispensable. A man who tries to 
teach others without it will be laughed at. He 
cannot get realization himself and he tries to 
Ordinary spir- snow the wa y to others. It is like the 
ituai teachers blind leading the blind. In this way 
irv Mn J more harm is done than good. When 
God is realized the inner spiritual sight opens 
and it is then that the true teacher can perceive 
the sickness of the soul and can prescribe the 
proper remedy. Without God's command a 
man easily becomes egotistic and thinks, "I 
have the power to teach others." Such egotism 
is the result of ignorance. In ignorance one 
feels, "I am the doer;" but when one realizes 
that ''God is the Lord and doer of all, I cannot 

169 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

do anything," then one becomes absolutely free 
even in this life. All misery and restlessness 
proceed from the sense of "I" and ''me," "I 
am the doer," "I am the actor." 

You talk glibly of doing good to the world. 
Is the world contained in a nutshell? Besides, 

First see God W ^° are y OU ^° ^° S" 00( l to the World? 

then help the First practice devotional exercises 
and realize God. Attain to Him. 
If He graciously gives you His powers (Sakti), 
then you can help others, and not till then. 

A Brahmo devotee: Revered Sir, are we to 
give up all works until we have seen God ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: No, why will you give up 
all works? Meditation upon God, chanting His 
Holy Name, and other devotional exercises are 
daily works which you should have to perform. 

The devotee: But what about household 
works and business affairs ? 

Sri Ramakrishna : Oh ! you will also perform 
those, but only so far as is absolutely necessary 
Pray that ^ or li v i n & i n the world ; and you 
worldly work should at the same time pray in soli- 

may grow less. tude ^^ ^ Lord ^^ ^^ ^ 

your eyes for His grace, and for strength to do 
your duties without seeking any reward. Say 
when you pray: "Lord, grant that my work in 

170 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the world and for the world may grow less and 
less day by day, for I see that my work growing 
manifold only makes me lose sight of Thee. 
Sometimes I think that I do my duties unat- 
tached to the world, but I know not how I de- 
ceive myself and do them through attachment 
instead. I give alms to the poor, and behold, 
I seek for fame, Oh I know not how!" 

Shambhu (Mullik) * talked of founding hos- 
pitals and dispensaries, schools and colleges, of 

God-vision and buildin g roads > sinking wells and 
philanthropic digging tanks for the good of all. I 
workh ' said to him: "Yes, whatever comes 

in your way and is absolutely necessary you 
will do; even that, without seeking any reward. 
Do not seek more work than you can well per- 
form. If you do you will forget the Lord. A 
man desired to see the shrine of the Divine 
Mother. On his way he stopped and spent all 

* Babu Shambhu Charan Mullik was a Hindu multi- 
millionaire of Calcutta. He had a large garden-house near 
the Temple of Dakshineswara where many a time he en- 
tertained Bhagavan Ramakrishna. It was in this garden- 
house Ramakrishna had the vision of Christ who entered 
into His body and remained with Him for three days and 
three nights. Ramakrishna said to His disciples that during 
that time He was not conscious of His being a Hindu and 
that He could not enter into the Temple compound, 

171 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the day in distributing alms to the poor. When 
he went to the shrine, the door was closed and 
he could not see the Holy of Holies. The wise 
ones should first see the Holy Mother, by push- 
ing their way through the crowd assembled at 
the gate of the Temple, and after seeing Her, 
they may then turn their attention to alms- 
giving and other good works, if they so desire. v 
All good works are for the realization of God. 
Works are the means and God-vision is the end. 
Therefore I said to Shambhu: "Sup- 

God=vision the _ 

end of all per= pose you see God, or that God mani- 
formanceof f e sts Himself to you, will you say to 
Him: 'Lord, do Thou grant that I 
may have lots of dispensaries and hospitals, 
schools and colleges!'" A true devotee shall 
rather pray in this wise: " Grant, O good Lord, 
that I may have a niche in the Lotus of Thy 
Feet, that it may be my privilege to live always 
in Thy Holy Presence and that I may have deep 
and unalloyed devotion unto Thee." 

Karma Yoga is very difficult. It is difficult in 
this materialistic age (Kali-yuga) to get through 
Path of Bhakti a ^ ^ e W01 *ks, all the duties laid upon 
Yoga best for us by the Sacred Books. Verily in 
this age. t ^ s a ^ ear j-] 1 |y ]jf e d e p en( j s entirely 

upon material food. Works and duties, there is 

172 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

scarcely time enough for them. It will be all 
over with the patient suffering from the burning 
fever of this world if he is allowed to go through 
the slow process of treatment practised by the 
old-fashioned Hindu physicians. People are 
short-lived and the malaria carries one off in a 
few T days. The specific for the present day is 
Dr. D. Gupta's patent fever mixture, which pro- 
duces a miraculous effect at once. Yes, in this 
age the one means of realizing God is Bhakti or 
sincere devotion and love for Him, and earnest 
prayer and the chanting of His Holy Name and 
Divine attributes. (To Keshab and other de- 
votees) Your path, too, lies through devotion 
and self -surrender to the Lord (Bhakti Yoga). 
Blessed are ye who sing the Name of Hari and 
chant the praises of my Divine Mother. Your 
path is right. Unlike the non-dualists, you 
do not believe that this world is only a dream. 
You are not Jnanis, but Bhaktas; you believe 
in a Personal God, that is good. You are Bhak- 
tas. If you can sincerely and earnestly cry for 
Him, you will surely obtain Him. 

(To Keshab) You talk against child mar- 
riage and the caste system, about female eman- 
cipation and female education. I say one thing 
is needful, — the realization of God and devotion 

i73 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

to Him. First realize God and all other things 
shall be added unto you. Jadu Mullik is a rich 
man. If you wish to cultivate his acquaintance, 
do not trouble yourself as to how much wealth 
he has, how many houses he owns, how many 
country-houses and gardens. First, be intro- 
duced to him and he will furnish you with all 
the necessary information afterwards. 

There was a young man named Podo in a 
certain village. In that village was an old 
Parable of the dilapidated temple. The holy image 
deserted of God once worshipped there had 

temple. disappeared and it was now the home 

of small bats. One day at nightfall the vil- 
lagers were surprised to hear the sound of bells, 
gongs, and conch-shells issuing from the de- 
serted temple. Men, women and children all 
flocked to the place. They thought that some 
devotee must be worshipping some image of 
God newly set up within the temple by perform- 
ing the Arati, the evening ceremony of waving 
the lights and offering flowers, fruits and holy 
water. With folded hands they all stood 
listening to the sacred sounds before the temple. 
One of them, more curious than the rest, had 
the courage to go inside. To his surprise he 
saw that Podo was ringing the bell and blowing 

i74 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the shell ; but the floor was as dirty as before 
with impurities of all kinds and there was no 
image of God on the altar! He then called 
out, saying: "O Podo, thou hast no Madhava 
(Sri Krishna, God-Incarnate) in the temple; 
how is it, then, that thou hast raised all this 
clamor by blowing the conch-shell? And be- 
hold! thou hast not even taken the trouble to 
cleanse the temple by removing the impurities 
and dirt of years and washing the floor with 
the holy water of the Ganges!" 

First realize God in the temple of your heart. 
With that, in view, you must cleanse it of all 
First cleanse impurities, all sin and iniquity, all 
the heart. attachment to the world caused by 
the power of the senses. It is then that the 
time comes for blowing the shell, if need be. 
Talk of social reforms! You may well do so 
after realizing God. Remember, the Rishis of 
old gave up the world in order to attain to 
God. This is the one thing needful. All other 
things shall be granted unto you. 

iv 

The steamer had come back to Koylaghat 
(Calcutta). All on board held themselves in 
readiness to land. As they came out of the 

i75 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

cabin they saw that the full moon had bathed 
the bosom of the Holy Ganges and the adjoining 
banks with her mellow light. The Bhagavan 
with two or three disciples got into a cab 
which had been kept waiting for Him on the 
shore. Nandalal, Keshab's nephew, also got 
in. He wished to go with the Bhagavan for 
some distance. When all had seated themselves 
in the cab, Sri Ramakrishna asked: " Where is 
Keshab?" In a few moments Keshab came up 
smiling and inquired who were going with Him. 
Being satisfied with the answer, he bowed down 
to the ground before the Bhagavan, who 
affectionately bade him adieu. 

The cab set out. The Bhagavan was filled 
with supreme joy as the carriage drove along. 
Suddenly He said: "I am thirsty; what is to 
be done ? ' ' Nandalal stopped the carriage before 
the gates of the India Club and went upstairs to 
bring water. It was brought in a glass tumbler. 
The Bhagavan, smiling, asked, "Is the glass 
well washed?" Nandalal replied, "Yes." The 
Bhagavan drank the water. He was childlike 
in His simplicity. He put forward His face to 
look at the various objects on both sides. His 
joy knew no bounds as He saw men, animals, car- 
riages, houses, the moonlight, the lighted streets! 

176 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Nandalal got out at Colutola. The cab came 
to a stop before the door of Suresh Mitra's * 
house. Suresh was very much attached to 
the Bhagavan, but he was not at home. He 
had gone to visit a newly-purchased garden at 
Kankurgachi. His people opened a room on 
the ground-floor and invited the party to be 
seated there. The cab-fare was to be paid. 
Who was there to pay it ? Had Suresh been at 
home, he would have done so. The Bhagavan 
said to a disciple: "Ask the ladies of the house 
for the fare. I suppose they know well enough 
that their husbands are in the habit of coming 
to our place." 

Narendra (Vivekananda) lived in the same 
neighborhood, so the Bhagavan sent for him. 
Meanwhile the inmates of the house led Him 
upstairs into the drawing-room. The matting 
of the floor was covered with a carpet and a 
white sheet. Three or four pillows were lying 
about. On the walls there hung a beautiful 
oil-painting which Suresh intended to be a 
representation of the harmony of all religions. 

* Babu Suresh Chunder Mitra was a devoted householder 
disciple of Ramakrishna. The Bhagavan used to call him 
Surendra. See Chapter VIII. 

177 



GOSPEL OF ramakrishna 

In the painting Sri Ramakrishna was represented 
as pointing to Keshab that all religions lead 
to one goal — be it Hinduism, Mahomet anism, 
Buddhism, Christianity, or their various sects. 

The Bhagavan was conversing with smiles on 
His lips when Narendra came up. His joy re- 
doubled. He said to Narendra as He talked: 
We enjoyed such a pleasant trip on board the 
steamer with Keshab Sen. Bijoy also was 
there, and many of those present here. You 
may ask Mahendra how I talked to Keshab 
and Bijoy about the mother and her daughter 
both observing fast on Tuesday each for her 
own welfare, and how God's Sports in this 
world would suffer for want of nourishment in 
the absence of obstructions like Jatilla and 
Kutilla. 

It was getting late. But Suresh had not 
come home as yet. The Bhagavan asked to go 
back to the Temple at Dakshineswara. It was 
about half -past ten and He wished to leave for 
the garden. The streets were flooded with 
moonlight. The cab was at the door. The ' 
Bhagavan got in. Narendra and Mahendra 
bowed low to the Master and started for their 
homes. 

178 - 



CHAPTER VI 

SUNDAY AT THE TEMPLE 



The nineteenth of August, 1883, fell on Sun- 
day and was the first day after the full moon, 
so the devotees had leisure to come and see 
their beloved Master at Dakshineswara. Every- 
one had free access. He talked with everybody 
who came. His visitors were from all classes 
of people, — Sannyasins * and Paramahamsas,f 
Hindus, Christians and Brahmos, Saktas, 
Vaishnavas and Shaivas, — women as well as 
men. It was noon. Sri Ramakrishna was 
seated in His usual place in His room. A dis- 
ciple came and saluted Him, falling at His 

* Sannyasins are those who have renounced the world and 
its pleasures for the sake of the Lord. 

f Pararriahamsas are those who have attained to Nirvikalpa 
Samddhi, or Brahma- Jnana. 

179 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

hallowed feet. The Bhagavan made him sit 
down and kindly inquired after the welfare of 
himself and of his family. A short while after 
the Bhagavan began to talk to him upon the 
Vedanta. He said: 

The Astavakara Samhita * deals with the 
knowledge of the Atman (Self). The knowers 
Non=duaiistic of ■ the Self declare: "I am He, I am 
vedantins. that Supreme Self." This is the 
view of all the Sannyasins belonging to the non- 
dualistic (Advaita) school of Vedanta. But it 
is not meet that a man of the world should hold 
such a view. He is doing all kinds of work; how 
at the same time can he be that Highest Self, 
the Absolute Brahman, who is beyond all ac- 
tions? The Non-dualistic Vedantins hold that 
the Self has no attachment to anything. Pleas- 
ure, pain, virtue, vice, can never affect the Self 
in any way; but they do affect men who think 
that their soul is the same as the body. Smoke 
can blacken only the wall, but not the space 
through which it moves. There was a certain 
devotee named Krishna Kisore. who used to 
say that he was Kha, or empty space. He 

* Astavakra Samhita is a work containing the highest 
exposition of the Advaita Vedanta, written by the ancient 
sage Astavakra, who was the preceptor of King Janaka. 

1 80 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

meant that he was the same as the Highest Self, 
Brahman the Absolute, who is sometimes likened 
to Akasa (infinite space) because nothing can be 
predicated of It. A true philosopher has some 
right to say this. As for others, such a senti- 
ment is altogether out of place. 

But it is good for everyone to cherish the idea 

that he is free. "I am free," "I am free "; if a 

man constantly says this, he is sure 

Thought of J J 

freedom to be free. On the other hand, he 

brings w j 10 always thinks that he is in bond- 

freedom. . ■ . 

age brings bondage on himself in the 

end. The weak-minded man who always says, 

"I am a sinner," "I am a sinner," is sure to 

have a fall. A man should rather say : " I repeat 

the Holy Name of God ; how can there be any 

sin in me, or bondage of the world?" 

Then turning towards the disciple, the Bhaga- 
van said: 

To-day my mind is not at ease. I hear from 
Hridai * that he has been ailing much. Is this 

* Hridaya Mukerji was an old servant.of Sri Ramakrishna 
and .served Him for nearly thirty years in the Temple of 
Dakshineswara — till 1881. He was a remote nephew of 
Sri Ramakrishna. His birthplace was in the village of Siore, 
in the district of Hughly. He breathed his last towards 
the end of April, 1889. " Hridai" was a pet abbreviation 
of his name used by Sri Ramakrishna. 

181 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

anxiety due to Maya (attachment) or Daya 
Maya and (compassion) towards him? 
Da ^ The disciple did not know what to 

reply and remained silent. 

Sri Ramakrishna: Do you know what is 
Maya? Love towards one's own father, brother, 
sister, wife, child, nephew, niece, is called Maya, 
and compassion means loving all beings equally. 
Now what is this, my anxiety, due to — Maya or 
compassion? But Hridai did a great deal for 
me. He served me much. He never hesitated 
to do all sorts of menial services for me. My 
mind will be set at rest if he can get the money 
he needs. Now whom am I to ask for money? 
And how can I ask, being a Sannyasin ? 

At two or three o'clock in the afternoon two 
great devotees, Adhar * and Balaram, came and 
prostrated themselves before Him and took 
their seats. They asked Him how He was do- 
ing. The Bhagavan replied: "Well, my body 
is all right, but not so is the mind.' r He did not 
mention anything about Hridaya's illness. 



* Adhar was the first name of Babu Adhar lal Sen, a rich 
Hindu Deputy Magistrate of Calcutta. He was a devoted 
householder disciple of Ramakrishna, who often sanctified 
his home by His holy visits. 

182 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ii 
In the course of the conversation, when the 
talk was about the Goddess Simhavdhini * 
(seated upon a lion) belonging to the Mullik 
family of Barabazar, He said: Once I went to 
see the Simhavahini. She was then staying in 
one Mullik's house at Chashadhopapara. The 
house was almost a deserted one. The family 
had become very poor. In some places there 
was filth, in other places mosses were growing 
undisturbed. The cement upon the wall was 
crumbling down, and brick-dust and sand were 
slowly falling. Other houses belonging to the 
Mulliks are very neat and clean, but this was not 
so. Can you explain why this was the case ? The 
truth is that everyone must reap the fruit of his 
Law of past actions. We should believe in 

Karma. the law of Karma. One thing, how- 

ever, I saw in that deserted house, — that the 
The Divine ^ ace °^ ^e Goddess was beaming 
Presence in with glory. We should believe in 
images. the Tj ivine p reS ence infilling the 

images of the Deity. 

* In Hindu mythology the Goddess Durga destroyed the 
Demons, riding upon a wild lion. Hence Her name is "Sim- 
havahini. w 

183 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

I went to Vishnupura.* The Raja has several 
good temples. In one of the temples there is 
the image of a Goddess named Mrinmayi. A 
big tank is before the temple. But how was it 
that I smelled in the tank the spices that women 
use to perfume their hair? I did not know that 
they offered such spices to the Goddess when 
they went to worship her. I had not seen her 
image near the tank, but in Samadhi I saw her 
Divine form down .to her waist. The Divine 
Mother of the universe appeared to me in the 
form of Mrinmayi. 

By this time other devotees had arrived. 
The talk then turned on the Kabul war and the 
civil war that came after. One gave the news 
that Yakub Khan f had been deposed from his 
throne,, adding: Sir, Yakub Khan is a great 
devotee. 

Sri Ramakrishna: Well, pleasure and pain, 
happiness and misery, are things one cannet 
Trials of a separate from the body. We read 
devotee. [ n Kavi Kankana's t "Chandi" that 

Kaluvira, a great devotee, was shut up in prison. 

* The name of an ancient city in Bengal. 
t Yakub Khan was the Amir of Afghanistan who was 
deposed by the British after the Kabul war of 1879. 

t Kavi Kankana was a great poet of Bengal, whose famous 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

They placed a heavy stone upon his breast. 
Yet Kalu was the favorite child of the Mother 
of the universe. Pleasure and pain, happiness 
and misery, come with the body. How great a 
devotee was Srimanta! How fondly the god- 
dess loved his mother Khullana! But what an 
amount of trouble he had to go through ! They 
took him to the scaffold to be executed. A cer- 
tain woodman, a great devotee, was fortunate 
enough to see the goddess, and the goddess loved 
him very much and showed her kindness towards 
him ; but he had to go on with the trade of wood- 
cutter all the same. He had to sell firewood 
to get his livelihood. It does not follow that a 
devoted lover of God must be very well off in 
a devotee is the world. But he is rich in spirit, 
rich in spirit, though he may be poor in worldly 
things. Devaki in prison saw God in the form 
of a human being holding the conch-shell, discus, 
mace and lotus in His four hands ; but she could 
not get out of the prison for all her God-vision. 

Disciple: But she should have got rid, not 
only of imprisonment, but of her body, that be^ 
ing the source of all her troubles. 

work is entitled "Chandi," or the exploits of the Divine 
Mother. Kaluvira and Srinianta were the heroes of this 
poem, 

185 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan: One's body is the result of one's 
past actions. Therefore one must bear with it 
Body result of so long as the past actions are not 
past actions, cleared up. A blind man taking a 
bath in the holy water of the Ganges has his sins 
washed off, but his blindness continues all the 
same. It is the result of the actions of his 
previous life. But however the body may be 
under the influence of pleasure and pain, how- 
ever the body may be happy or miserable, the 
true devotee is all the same rich in spirit, rich 
in knowledge (Jnana) and the love of God 
(Bhakti). Take for instance the Panda vas. How 
many dangers and difficulties they had to face! % 
What wants and miseries to bear! But amidst 
all these they never lost their wisdom. Can 
you find others equally wise and devoted to 
God? 

At this time Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) 
and Visvanatha Upadhyaya,* the Nepaulese 
Resident in Calcutta, entered. Bowing down 
to Sri Ramakrishna, they took their seats. Sri 
Ramakrishna asked Narendra to sing. There 



* Visvanatha Upadhyaya was a Brahmin scholar and a 
devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. He was like a consul of the 
Nepaul Government to the British. 

1 86 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

was hanging on the western wall of the room a 
Tanpura (a stringed musical instrument). Na j 
rendra took it down and began to tune it. 
Everyone was intently looking upon his face, 
eager to listen to his songs. 

Bhagavan to Narendra: This instrument no 
longer sounds as before. 

Visvanatha: It is filled, therefore there is no 
sound, as with a vessel filled with water. 

Sri Ramakrishna: But how do you explain 
the life of Narada and of other Divine Teachers ? 
They had realized God, but still spoke. They 
were filled, but they gave forth sounds. 

Visvanatha: They spoke for the good of 
mankind. 

Bhagavan: Yes, Narada and Sukadeva came 
down from the highest state of Samadhi. Their 
hearts went out to those who were weary and 
heavy-laden and knew not God. They spoke 
for the good of others. 

Narendra began to sing: 

i. In the temple of the heart dwelleth the 
Eternal Truth. 
Ever beholding His glorious and lovely 
form, when shall we dive in the sea of His 
Beauty ? 

187 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

2. In the form of Infinite Wisdom the Lord will 

enter my soul. 
The restless mind filled with wonder will 

take refuge at His Blessed Feet. 
Immortal Bliss, like embodied nectar, will 

rise in the firmament of the soul. 

3. At Thy sight we shall be mad with joy even 

as the Chakora * is maddened at the sight 
of the moon. 

4. O King of kings, there is none like Thee, all 

good and all peaceful. 
At Thy feet, O Beloved, I shall offer myself 
and thus fulfil the aim of my life. 

5. Even here shall I enjoy heavenly bliss, so 

great a privilege where could I find ? 

6. O Lord, beholding Thy pure and perfect form, 

all sins will take flight, even as darkness 
vanishes before light. 

7. O kindle in my heart the light of burning 

faith, fixed firm like the polar star, and 
thus, O Friend of the meek, fulfil my one 
desire. Day and night merged in the 

* Chakora is the name of a kind of aquatic bird. 
J 88 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bliss of Thy Love. O I shall forget myself 
having attained to Thee. 

(O when will this come ?) 

Sri Ramakrishna had lost Himself in deep 
Samadhi as soon as He had heard the words 
Samadhiof " Immortal bliss like embodied nec- 
Ramakrishna. tar# » There He sat with clasped 
hands, turning His face toward the East. He 
was diving deep into the Ocean of Beauty of 
the All-Blissful One. No external conscious- 
ness, no sign of breathing, no motion in any of 
His limbs, no quiver of the eye, — like one drawn 
in a picture! He had gone away somewhere 
from this kingdom, from this world of the senses. 

Returning from Samadhi, the Bhagavan 
murmured in an indistinct voice: "Thou art I, 
I am Thou. Thou eat est, Thou and I eat. 
What is this? Have I jaundiced eyes? I see 
Thee everywhere. Wherever I cast my eyes, I 
see Thy form.'' Then He repeated the holy 
name of Krishna: "O Friend of the meek and 
gentle! O Lord of my heart! O Divine Shep- 
herd!" After repeating this a few times, He 
again went into Samadhi. Coming back to 
sense-consciousness, He opened His eyes and 
found that the room was full of people of every 

189 



GOSPEL OF KAMAKRISHNA 

class. Narendra, seeing that the Bhagavan 
was in Samadhi, had left the room and gone to 
the eastern veranda, where Hazra* was seated 
on a blanket telling his beads. Narendra be- 
gan to talk with him. In the meanwhile the 
Bhagavan looked for Narendra in the room, but 
he was not there. The Tanpura (musical in- 
strument) was lying on the ground. The devo- 
tees all had their eyes fixed upon the Bhaga- 
van, who began thus, referring to Narendra: 
He has lighted the fire. It matters not whether 
he remains in the room or leaves it ! 

Then turning towards Visvanatha and His 
numerous devotees, He said: Meditate upon 
Bliss comes in God, the sole Existence, Knowledge 
meditation. anc [ Bliss Eternal, and you also shall 
have bliss. That Being of Knowledge and 
Bliss is always here and everywhere, only It is 
covered and obscured by ignorance. The less 
is your attachment towards the senses, the more- 
will be your love for God. 

Visvanatha: The more we near our home at 
Calcutta, the farther we are from Benares, and 
the more we near Benares, the farther we are 
away from our home. 

* See note page 128. 
190 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan: As Srimati (Radha) * neared Sri 

Krishna, she perceived more and more the 

charming fragrance of His sweet per- 

LoverofGod. ™, i "'A 

son. The more one approaches God, 
the more does one's love toward Him increase. 
The more the river nears the sea, the more it is 
subject to ebb and flow. The Ganges of knowl- 
edge flowing in the soul of a wise man runs only 
in one direction. To him the whole universe is 
a dream. He always lives in His own True Self 
(Atman). But the Ganges of love in a devo- 
tee's heart does not run in one direction. It 
has its ebb and flow. A devotee laughs, weeps, 
dances, sings. He wants sometimes to enjoy 
his Beloved, to merge into his Beloved! He 
swims in Him, dives, rises up in his joy as 
merrily as a lump of ice floats upon the water. 

But in fact God the Absolute and God the 
Creator are one and the same Being. The Ab- 
solute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is 
Absolute the All-knowing, All-intelligent and 
and God the All-blissful Mother of the Universe. 

Creator one. . , .- _. ,. N 

The precious stone (Mam) and its 
brightness cannot be separated in thought, for 

* Srimati Radha was the beloved consort of Sri Krishna, 
the greatest of the Saviours among the Hindus. 

ior 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

we cannot think of the stone without its bright- 
ness, nor can we think of the brightness apart 
from the stone. The Absolute Existence-Intelli- 
gence-Bliss, the Undifferentiated, appears as 
differentiated into many. He has various 
names applied to Him according to the vari- 
ous powers manifested. That is the reason of 
His having many forms. Hence a devotee has 
sung: "O my Mother Tara,* Thou art even all 
that." Wherever there is action, such as crea- 
tion, preservation and destruction, there is 
Sakti or Intelligent Energy. But water is 
water whether it is calm or disturbed. That 
One Absolute Existence-Intelligence-Bliss is 
also the eternally Intelligent Energy which 
creates, preserves and destroys the universe. 
Thus it is the same Visvanatha whether he 
does nothing or performs his worship or visits 
the Governor-General. In all cases it is the 
same Visvanatha, only these are his different 
Upadhis or states. 

Visvanatha: Yes, Sir, that is so. 

Bhagavan: I said this to Keshab Chandra 
Sen. 

*Tara is another name of the Divine Mother of the 
universe. 

192 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Visvanatha: Well, Sir, Keshab Chandra Sen 
does not respect our orthodox Hindu manners, 
customs and laws. How can he be a real saint? 

The Bhagavan (turning towards His devo- 
tees) : Visvanatha never wants me to go to see 
Keshab Sen. 

Visvanatha: But Thy Holiness will go. What 
can I do? 

Bhagavan: You go to see the Governor- 
General, who according to your Shastras * is a 
Mleccha (unclean), and for money, too; and 
may I not go to see Keshab Sen? It does not 
become you to speak in this way. You often 
say: "It is God who has manifested Himself as 
the human soul and the world itself." What 
you say you must mean; what you mean you 
must say! 

After this Ramakrishna abruptly left the 
room and went to the northeastern veranda. 
Visvanatha and other devotees remained wait- 
ing for Him in the room. Narendra was found 
talking with Hazra on the veranda. Sri 
Ramakrishna knew that Hazra was an out-and- 
out non-dualist and a dry logician. He upheld 
that all the universe was a mere dream; that all 

* Hindu Sacred Books are called Shastras. 
193 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

kinds of worship and offerings were mental de- 
lusions ; that God was the one changeless Entity • 
and that a man should only meditate upon his 
Atman (Self) , and do nothing else. 

Bhagavan (laughing) : What are you talking 
about ? 

Narendra: We are discussing themes all too 
big for ordinary mortals. 

Bhagavan (laughing) : But however you may 
talk, know that pure selfless devotion (Bhakti) 
Pure Bhakti an d P ure selfless knowledge (Jnana) 
and pure are both one; their goal is the same, 
nana one. Smooth and easy is the path of de- 
votion leading to God. 

Narendra: There is no use in reasoning like 
a philosopher; make me, O Mother, mad with 
Thy love. I have been reading Hamilton's 
Philosophy, and he writes: "A learned ig- 
norance is the end of philosophy and the be- 
ginning of religion." 

Bhagavan : What does that mean ? 

Narendra explained it in Bengali. Sri Rama- 
krishna laughed and thanked him in English, 
saying, "Thank you!" Everyone laughed at 
this, for the Bhagavan 's knowledge of English 
was confined to a few such expressions. 

194 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



111 

Soon twilight began to fall. The devotees 
one after another took leave of the Bhagavan, 
and so did Narendra. 

The day was drawing to a close. The Tem- 
ple-servant was arranging the lights. The 
Evening at priests were busy saying their prayers 
the Temple. as they stood waist-deep in the sacred 
waters of the Ganges, purifying themselves 
body and soul. They were shortly to go to 
their respective temples to perform the Arati, 
the evening ceremony. The young men of 
Dakshineswara had come with their friends to 
take a walk in the garden. They were Strolling 
about the rampart, enjoying the sweet evening 
breeze made fragrant by the flowers and watch- 
ing the slightly undulating breast of the swiftly- 
flowing Ganges. Some of them, perhaps the 
more thoughtful, could be found going about 
by themselves in the solitude of the sacred trees 
called the Panchavati. 

Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna also looked at 
the Ganges for some time from the western 
veranda. 

It was evening. The lamp-lighter had lighted 
all the lamps of the big temple. The old maid- 

i95 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

servant came and lit the lamp in the Bhagavan's 
room and burned incense there. In the mean- 
time the Arati ceremony had begun in the 
twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva. It began 
soon after in the temples of Kali, Mother of the 
Universe, and of Sri Vishnu. The united and 
solemn sound of gongs, bells, cymbals, grew 
more solemn and sweet as it was echoed back 
by the murmuring Ganges below. 

•It was the first lunar day after the full moon. 
A short while after nightfall the moon rose. 
Gradually the tops of the trees in the garden, as 
well as the big temple compound, were bathed 
in her balmy light. At the magic touch of her 
radiance the waters of the Ganges shone bright 
like silver and flowed on dancing with great joy. 

When at nightfall Sri Ramakrishna bowed 
down to the Divine Mother, He repeated the 
Holy Names of God, keeping time all the while 
by clapping his hands. In His room there 
were pictures of various Incarnations of God. 
He bowed before each picture, repeating the 
Holy Name of each. He also repeated His 
favorite mantrams, each having some lofty, 
unifying principle running through it, such as: 
i (i) Brahma-Atma-Bhagavan. (The Abso- 
lute Brahman of the Vedanta, True Self and the 

196 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Personal God of the Bhakta are three in one and 
one in three.) 

(2) Bhagavata - Bhakta - Bhagavan. (The 
Word, the devotee and the Personal God are 
three in one and one in three.) 

(3) Brahma-Sakti, Sakti-Brahma. (God the 
Absolute and the Creative Energy are one and 
the same.) 

(4) Veda-Purana-Tantra-Gita-Gayatri. (God 
of the Scriptures and Holy texts.) 

(5) Saranagata, Saranagata. (I take refuge 
in Thee. I am Thine, I am Thine.) 

(6) Naham-Naham, Tuhu-Tuhu. (Not I, not 
I, but Thou, but Thou.) 

(7) Ami Yantra, tumi yantri. (I am the 
machine; Thou art the One who runs the 
machine.) 

After all these repetitions were ended, He 
meditated upon the Mother Divine with clasped 
hands. 

A few of the devotees had been walking about 
in the garden during the evening. When the 
Arati ceremonies were over in the temples, one 
after another they came together in Sri Rama- 
krishna's room. 

He was sitting on His seat with devotees be- 
fore Him on the floor. He said: Narendra, 

197 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Rakhal and Bhavanatha — these are Nityasid- 
dhas (perfect even from their birth). They 
need no training. What training they go 
through is more than they need. You see that 
Narendra never cares for anyone. He was 
with me in Visvanatha's carriage the other 
day. When he was requested to sit upon the 
better seat, he paid no heed at all. Moreover, 
he never shows to me that he knows anything, 
lest I praise him before men. He has no Maya, 
no attachment. He looks as if he were free 
from all bondage. For a single individual he 
has many gifts and many noble qualities. He 
is also very courteous in his manners. He 
knows how to control his senses; he has said 
that he will not marry, but will live a pure life. 
That is good. I always go into Samadhi when 
I see him. 

We mould our character according to the 
company we keep ; and we keep such company 
Character and as is in harmony with our character. 
associations, p or this reason the Paramahamsas 
(perfected souls) like to keep the company of 
innocent children because their minds are pure, 
simple and unstained by worldliness. 

As Sri Ramakrishna was speaking these words, 
a worthy Brahmin entered the room and bowed 

198 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

down at His feet. The Bhagavan had known 
him before and loved him because he was sin- 
cere and simple. He had studied Vedanta in 
Benares, the seat of great learning. Rama- 
krishna said to him: Well, you have not been 
here for a long time. How are you? 

The Brahmin, smiling, replied: " Revered 
Sir, the duties of the world, as Thou knowest, 
take most of my time." 

He then took his seat and Ramakrishna con- 
tinued: You remained in Benares for a long 
time. Tell us what you saw there. Let us 
hear something about Dayananda.* 

Brahmin: Yes, I met Dayananda. Thou 
hast also seen him. 

Ramakrishna: Yes, I went to see him once. 
He was staying in a garden-house not very far 
from here. That day he had an appointment 
with Keshab Sen. He was a great scholar; he 
also believed in the Devas (perfected spirits), 
but Keshab did not, whereupon he said: "If 

* Dayananda Saraswati was a Sannyasin of the Advaita 
Vedanta School. He was a great Vedic scholar, speaker 
and a Hindu reformer of the nineteenth century. He wrote 
Sanskrit Commentaries on the Vedas and was the founder 
of a reformed Hindu Sect known as the "Arya Samaj," 
which is now in a flourishing condition. He died in 1883 a.d. 

199 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

God created all these phenomena, could He not 
create Devas ? " He believed in one God, but 
without form. Visvanatha was repeating the 
Holy Name of the Lord, "Rama, Rama"; at 
this he said: "Better repeat the name ' San- 
desha, Sandesha' (sweetmeat, sweetmeat)." 

Brahmin: In Benares, Dayananda had long 
theological discussions with the other pandits. 
In the end all the pandits unanimously stood on 
one side, while he stood alone on the other; and 
then the pandits drove him from the city by 
raising the outcry: "Dayananda's position is 
false and must not be accepted!" I also saw 
Colonel Olcott, the Theosophist. The theoso- 
phists believe in the existence of the Mahatmas, 
the realm of the moon, the realm of the sun and 
the astral realms. They believe that the astral 
bodies go to these places and so on. Revered 
Sir, what dost Thou think of Theosophy? 

Ramakrishna: Bhakti, devotion to the Su- 
preme, is the only thing worth having. Do they 
Devotion to seek Bhakti? Then it is good. If 
the Supreme, their aim be the realization of God, 
then they are all right ; but by simply dwelling 
upon these realms and Mahatmas one cannot 
search after God. One should practise Sadhana 
(devotional exercises) to attain true Bhakti, 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

One should have extreme longing for realiza- 
tion. One should gather up all the mental 
activities and concentrate them upon Him. 
Realization of God does not come so easily; it 
requires a great deal of Sadhana. A man asked: 
"Why can I not see God?" I replied: "If you 
wish to catch a big fish, which lives in deep 
water, you will have to make many prepara- 
tions to attract him. You must get the line, 
rod, hook and float; you must put on savory 
bait; then when you see bubbles in the water, 
you may know that he has come near. Simi- 
larly, if you wish to see God, devote yourself to 
the practice of true Bhakti." 
Bhaktiand A devotee : Which is better^ 

Jnana. Bhakti or Jnana ? 

Ramakrishna: The highest form of Bhakti 
comes through extreme love for God. Three 
friends were walking through a forest. A tiger 
appeared. One of them cried out: "Brother, 
we shall be devoured by the tiger"; the second 
said : "Why shall we be devoured ? Come , let us 
pray to the Lord." Hearing this, the third one 
replied : ' ' Oh no, why trouble the Lord ? Let us 
climb this tree. ' ' The man who said, " We shall be 
devoured," did not know that the Lord is the pro- 
tector of all ; he who wished to pray to the Lord 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

was a Jnani ; he knew that the Lord is the Creator, 
Protector and Destroyer of all phenomena; 
but the third man, who said, "Why trouble 
the Lord, let us climb the tree," was a true 
lover of God. He had had the taste of Divine 
Love, the highest form of Bhakti. In one 
aspect of Divine Love (Prema) the lover thinks 
of himself as greater than the object of love; 
he has the constant desire to protect the Be- 
loved and make Him happy by removing all 
troubles and anxieties. The Gopis had true 
Prema, or Divine Love. 

In Divine Love the sense of "I" and "mine" 
exists, as was shown by the mother of the 
Divine Love Divine Incarnation, Krishna. For 
and its van= her, Krishna was only a son and not 

ous aspects. ^ Lord Qf the universe> g he loved 

to nurse Him and take care of Him, always 
calling Him "my Krishna," and feeling the 
same anxiety about Him that an earthly mother 
would feel about her son. When a certain 
saint spoke to her, saying: "Your Krishna is 
the absolute Master of the world; He is not, 
human"; Yasoda, the mother of Krishna, re- 
plied: "Oh no, He is not the Lord of the uni- 
verse; He is my child. I cannot think of Him 
as other than my child." Divine Love is mani- 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

f ested by various relations ; the closer the rela- 
tion, the stronger the tie of love. The relation 
of a servant to his master was manifested by 
Hanuman ; the relation of a friend to his friend 
was shown by Arjuna to Krishna; while the 
Gopis were devoted to the Lord as their Divine 
husband. 

Some people think that they are bound 
(Baddha), that they will never attain to Divine 
Wisdom, or to Divine Love. But all this fear 
vanishes from the heart of a true disciple if his 
Guru, or spiritual guide, be gracious to him. 
Parable of There was a flock of sheep in the 
the tiger. woods ; suddenly a tigress jumped 
into their midst. At that moment she gave 
birth to a cub and died on the spot. The kind- 
hearted sheep took care of the cub, and brought 
it up among them. They ate grass, the cub 
followed their example; they bleated, the cub 
also learned to bleat. In this manner the cub 
grew up not as a young tiger but like a sheep. 
One day a full-grown tiger came that way 
and watched with wonder the grass-eating 
tiger. The real tiger drew nearer, but the cub 
began to bleat. Then the real tiger dragged 
him to the edge of a lake and said : " Look here ! 
Compare your face with mine. Is there any 

203 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

difference? You are a tiger like me; grass is 
not your food; your food is animal flesh. " But 
the grass-eating tiger could not believe it. 
After a long time the real tiger convinced him 
that he was of the same species. Then he gave 
him a piece of flesh to eat, but he would not 
touch it; he began once more to bleat and to 
seek for grass. At last, however, the real tiger 
forced him to eat animal flesh ; at once he liked 
the taste of the blood, gave up his grass-eating 
and bleating, and realized that he was not a 
sheep but a tiger. He then followed the real 
tiger and became like him. 

The human soul is the child of God, but it 
does not know it, and therefore it lives like an 
Human soul ordinary mortal (sheep); but when, 
the child by the grace of the Guru, he realizes 
of God. y s true na t ure , he becomes free 

from all fear and attains to perfection. There- 
fore I say, when the grace of the Guru comes, 
all fear vanishes. He will make you know who 
you are and what you are in reality. You will 
have to do very little for yourself after you 
have received that grace. You will then be able 
to distinguish between the Real and the unreal 
and to realize that God is Truth and the world 

is unreal. 

204 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

A fisherman came to a garden at night and 
threw his net in the pond to catch some fish. 
Parable of the Hearing the . noise, the owner sent 
false Sadhu. j^g men to capture him. The men 
came with torches in their hands to discover the 
thief. In the meantime the fisherman dropped 
his net, covered his face with ashes and sat 
under a tree, pretending to be a holy man 
absorbed in meditation. The men could not 
find the thief; they simply noticed that a holy 
man was meditating under a tree, so they re- 
turned to the owner and told him what they 
had seen. Everybody then brought flowers, 
fruits, and sweets to the holy man and paid 
him great honor and respect. Next morning 
crowds of people came to see the Sadhu and 
offered to him money and various other things. 
The fisherman thought: "How strange it is! 
I am not a holy man, still people have so much 
respect for me and I have received so many 
gifts. If I become a genuine Sadhu (Anchoret), 
how much more I shall get! Undoubtedly I 
shall see God." If merely feigning to be 
a holy man could so far awaken him, what 
can be said of him who has practised all 
virtues in order to become a true holy man! 
He will realize what is Real and what is 

205 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

unreal, that God is Truth and the world is 
unreal. 

A devotee: Where shall I meditate on God? 

Ramakrishna : The heart is the best place. 
Meditate on Him in your heart. 

206 



CHAPTER VII 

SOME INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF SRI RAMA- 
KRISHNA (AS TOLD BY HIMSELF) 



I practised austerities for a long time. I 
cared very little for the body. My longing fof 
Days of the Divine Mother was so great that 

struggle. I would not eat or sleep. I would 

lie on the bare ground, placing my head on a 
lump of earth, and cry out loudly: " Mother, 
Mother, why dost Thou not come to me?" I 
did not know how the days and nights passed 
away, I used to have ecstasy all the time. 
I saw my disciples as my own people, like chil- 
dren and relations, long before they came to 
me. I used to cry before my Mother, saying: 
"O Mother! I am dying for my beloved ones 
(Bhaktas) ; do Thou bring them to me as quickly 
as possible." 

207 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

At that time whatever I desired came to 
pass. Once I desired to build a small hut in 
the Panchavati * for meditation and to put a 
ah desires fence around it. Immediately after 
fulfilled. j saw a huge bundle of bamboo sticks, 

rope, strings and even a knife, all brought by 
the tide in front of the Panchavati. A servant 
of the Temple, seeing these things, ran to me 
with great delight and told me of them. There 
was the exact quantity of material necessary 
for the hut and the fence. When they were 
built, nothing remained over. Everyone was 
amazed to see this wonderful sight. 

When I reached the state of continuous ec- 
stasy, I gave up all external forms of worship; 
I could no longer perform them. Then I 
prayed to my Divine Mother: " Mother, who 
will now take care of me? I have no power to 
take care of myself. I like to hear Thy name 
and feed Thy Bhaktas and help the poor. Who 
will make it possible for me to do these things? 
Send me someone who will be able to do these 
for me." As the answer to this prayer came 
Mathura Babu,f who served me so long and 

* Five sacred trees planted together to form a grove to 
be used for contemplation. 

| Mathura Babu was the son-in-law of Rani Rashmoni. 
2q8 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

with such intense devotion and faith! Again 
at another time I said to the Mother: "I shall 
have no child of my own, but I wish to have 
as my child a pure Bhakta, who will stay with 
me all the time. Send me such an one." Then 
came Rakhal (Brahmananda). 

Those who are my own are parts of my very 
Self. 

ii 

In referring to the time of joyous illumina- 
tion which immediately followed His enlighten- 
ment, He exclaimed: 

What a state it was! The slightest cause 
aroused in me the thought of the Divine Ideal. 
VisittoZooiog-One day I went to the Zoological 
icai Garden. Garden in Calcutta. I desired espe- 
cially to see the lion, but when I beheld him, 
I lost all sense-consciousness and went into 
Samadhi. Those who were with me wished to 
show me the other animals, but I replied: "I 
saw everything when I saw the king of beasts. 
Take me home." The strength of the lion 
had aroused in me the consciousness of the 

the founder of the Temple garden at Dakshineswara. He 
recognized the Divine powers and superhuman character 
of Sri Ramakrishna and became His devoted disciple. 

209 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA „ 

omnipotence of God and had lifted me above 
the world of phenomena. 

Another day I went to the parade-ground to 
see the ascension of a balloon. Suddenly my 
Divinity eyes fell upon a young English boy 

everywhere, leaning against a tree. The very 
posture of his body brought before me the vision 
of the form of Krishna and I went into Samadhi. 

Again I saw a woman wearing a blue garment 
under a tree. She was a harlot. As I looked 
at her, instantly the ideal of Sita * appeared 
before me! I forgot the existence of the harlot, 
but saw before me pure and spotless Sita, 
approaching Rama, the Incarnation of Divinity, 
and for a long time I remained motionless. I 
worshipped all women as representatives of the 
Divine Mother. I realized the Mother of the 
universe in every woman's form. 

Mathura Babu, the son-in-law of Rashmoni, 
invited me to stay in his house for a few days. 
At that time I felt so strongly that I was the 
maid-servant of my Divine Mother that I 
thought of myself as a woman. The ladies of 
the house had the same feeling; they did not 

* Sita was the consort of Rama, the Divine Incarnation 
and the Hero of Ramayana. She was the perfect type of 
womanhood according to the Hindus. 

210 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

look upon me as a man. As women are free 
before a young girl, so were they before me. 
My mind was above the consciousness of sex. 

What a Divine state it was! I could not eat 
here in the Temple. I would walk from place 
to place and enter into the house of strangers 
after their meal hour. I would sit there quietly, 
without uttering a word. When questioned, I 
would say, ''I wish to eat here." Immediately 
they would feed me with the best things they 
had. 

iii 

Once I heard of a poor Brahmin who was a 
true devotee and who lived in a small hut in 
Visit to a poor Baghbazar. I desired to see him, so 
Brahmin. j as k e d Mathura Babu to take me to 
him. He consented, immediately ordered a 
large carriage and drove me there. The Brah- 
min's house was so small that he scarcely had 
room to receive us, and he was much surprised 
to see me coming with such a rich man in such 
a carriage ! 

At another time I wished to meet Devendra 
Nath Tagore.* He is a very rich man, but in 

* Devendra Nath Tagore was a Hindu multimillionaire of 
Calcutta. He was born in 1818 a.d. In 1841 he became 

211 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

spite of his enormous wealth he is devoted to 
visit to De= ^od and repeats His Holy Name. For 
vendra Nath this reason I desired to know him. 
Tagore. j spoke about him to Mathura 

Babu. He replied: ''Very well, Baba, I will 
take Thee to him; he was my classmate." So 
he took me and introduced me to him, saying: 
"This holy man has come to see you. He is 
mad after God." I saw in him a little pride 
and egotism. It is natural for a man who has 
so much wealth, culture, fame and social posi- 
tion. I said to Mathura Babu: "Tell me, does 
pride spring from true wisdom or from igno- 
rance? He who has attained to the highest 
knowledge of Brahman cannot possess pride or 
egotism, such as 'I am learned,' 'I am wise,' 'I 
am rich,' and so on." While I was speaking 
with De vendra Nath Tagore, I went into a 
state from where I could see the true character 
of every individual. In this state the most 

a follower of Raja Rammohun Roy, the founder of the 
Adi Brahmo Samaj, and in 1844 he became the Acharya, 
or the spiritual leader of this Theistic Hindu Church. During 
the latter part of his life he retired from the world and de- 
voted his time entirely to spiritual studies. He was regarded 
by the Hindus as the "Maharshi," or the holy man of his 
age. 

212 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

learned pandits and scholars appear to me like 
blades of grass. When I see that scholars have 
neither true discrimination nor dispassion, then 
I feel that they are like straws; or they seem 
like vultures who soar high in the heavens, but 
keep their minds on the charnel-pits below on 
the earth. In Devendra I found both spiritual 
knowledge and worldly desire. He has a num- 
ber of children, some of whom are quite young. 
A doctor was present. I said: "When you 
have so much spiritual knowledge, how can 
you live constantly in the midst of so much 
worldliness? You are like Raja Janaka; you 
can keep your mind on God, remaining amid 
worldly pleasures and luxury. Therefore I 
have come to see you. Tell me something of 
the Divine Being." Devendra then read some 
passages from the Vedas and said: "This world 
is like a chandelier, and each Jiva (individual 
soul) is like a light in it." Long ago, when I 
spent nearly all my time meditating at the 
Panchavati, I saw the same thing. When De- 
vendra's words harmonized with my experience, 
I knew that he must have attained to some true 
knowledge. I asked him to explain. He said: 
"Who would have known this world? God has 

created man to manifest His glory. If there 

213 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

were no light in the chandelier, it would be all 
dark. The chandelier itself would not be 
visible." After a long conversation Devendra 
Nath Tagore begged me to come to the anni- 
versary of the Brahmo-Samaj. I answered: 
"If it be the will of the Lord. I go wherever 
He takes me." 

iv 

Padmalochana was the most eminent scholar 
in the court of the Raja of Burdwan. He came 
Visit to Pad- to a garden-house near Dakshines- 
maiochana. wara, and as I had a desire to meet 
him, I sent Hridai to find out whether he had 
pride or not. I learned that he was simple and 
absolutely free from scholarly pride, so I went 
to see him. He was indeed a great scholar and 
a true Jnani. He defeated all the great pandits 
and theologians. He said that when he was in 
the court of the Raja a theological discussion 
arose regarding the Hindu Trinity, — whether 
the first person of the Trinity, Brahma, was 
greater than the third person of the Trinity, 
Shiva. The pandits referred to him for the 
final decision and Padmalochana replied: "I 
have seen neither Brahma nor Shiva; how can 

I decide?" He wished to hear me sing the 

214 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

praises of my Divine Mother. I had a long 
conversation with him. He became truly de- 
voted to me and said: "I have never found so 
much happiness anywhere." He revered me 
although I used to cry for my Divine Mother 
like a child. 



Nothing but discourses on God appealed to 
me at this period. If I heard worldly conver- 
Distastefor sation, I would sit in a corner and 
worldly con- weep bitterly. When I went with 
versation. Mathura Babu to Benares, I was 
sitting with him in the drawing-room when some 
friends came in to see him and began to discuss 
worldly affairs. "So much we have gained, so 
much we have lost." Hearing this I was in 
tears and cried aloud: !! Mother, why hast'Thou 
brought me here? I was much better off in 
the Temple. I have come to the Holy City 
to hear only of lust and gold; but there in the 
Temple I did not have to listen to such con- 
versation." 

I was at this time like a young boy and so 
Mathura Babu fulfilled all the desires that arose 
in my mind. My heart and soul, however, 
were constantly longing to hear about the 

2I 5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Supreme Being. I searched for the places where 
Longing to ^ e Holy Scriptures were expounded. 
hear about There was a Brahmin in the neigh- 

the Supreme. borhood who was a great pandit 

and who had true faith. I used to go to hear 
him very often. A saint lived near by on the 
bank of the Ganges and I wished to go with 
this Brahmin to see him; but a priest who 
looked upon the world as a dream discouraged 
me by saying: "The body of a saint is an earthly 
cage ; what good can one obtain by visiting such 
a cage?" I spoke of this to the Brahmin and 
he replied: "He who thinks of God, he who re- 
peats His Holy Name and has renounced every- 
thing for the sake of the Lord, must not be re- 
garded as an earthly cage. The priest does not 
know that the form of a devotee is a spiritual 
form full of Divine intelligence." This Brah- 
min once asked me why I had thrown away my 
Brahminical thread. I replied: "When the 
storm of Divine ecstasy overtook my heart and 
soul, it blew away all signs of caste and creed. 
If you once become mad after God, then you 
will understand me." But after some time this 
Brahmin himself caught the madness of Divine 
ecstasy. He would utter nothing but "Om, 
Om," and sit in silence in his own room. He 

216 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

would not mix with or speak to anyone. His 
friends and relatives called in physicians. He 
told one of them: "You can cure my disease, 
but do not take my 'Om' from me." Once I 
went to see him when he was in this state. I 
asked him what was the matter and he answered : 
"The tax-collectors have been here and I am 
wondering what I shall do. They said that they 
would seize my belongings." I replied: "What 
will you gain by thinking in this way? Let 
them sell your belongings. If they put you in 
jail, they cannot harm you, because you say 
that you are nothing but (Kha) infinite space." 
I would often repeat this, his own statement, to 
him and say: "As you are infinite space, no tax 
can be drawn out of you." 



VI 



During this period I was absolutely out- 
spoken. I observed no formality or etiquette; 
Absolute I was fearless. Once I met a rich 
frankness. Zemindar and asked him: "What is 
our highest duty? Is not the attainment of 
God our highest duty?" He replied: "We are 
men of the world; salvation is not for us. When 

217 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

even Yudhisthira,* the purest and most per- 
fect of mortals, had to see purgatory in a vision 
because he had once wavered for half a second 
from absolute Truth, what can we expect for 
ourselves?" I could not bear his words and 
rebuked him sharply, saying: "What kind of 
man are you, that you think of the momentary 
vision of purgatory? You must not think of 
that, but of Yudhisthira's truthfulness, forgive- 
ness, patience, right discrimination, renuncia- 
tion, devotion and love for God." 

At another time I went to see a Zemindar 
who had the title of Raja, and I told him plainly 
that I could not call him Raja because he was 
not really one. 

One day I saw a pious Brahmin who was 
counting his beads on the bank of the Ganges. 
I stood near him and knew that his mind was 
not fixed on God but on earthly things. Im- 
mediately I roused him by striking him on the 
shoulder. At another time Rashmoni, the 
founder of the Temple, was praying in the Tem- 
ple while I was singing the holy song of the 
Divine Mother. I perceived that her mind was 

* Yudhisthira was the Hero of the Mahabharata and the 
Hindu emperor of ancient India. 

218 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

on worldly objects and instantly I roused her in 
the same manner. In amazement she folded 
her hands and remained motionless before me. 

vii 

Keshab Chunder Sen was suffering from a 
serious illness. Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna 
Visit to was very anxious to see him, so He 

Keshab Sen. came one day with a few of His dis- 
ciples to Keshab 's home, where He was received 
by some of Keshab 's disciples. They led Him 
to the drawing-room and seated Him on a couch. 
The room was fitted up with modern furniture. 
The Bhagavan looked at it for a moment ; then 
His mind turned within and He went into 
Samadhi . After recovering sense-consciousness , 
He spoke thus : 

There are two, the physical body and the 
Atman; the body is born, so it must die, but 
Body and Atman is deathless. It is separate 
Atman. from the body, like a nut in the shell ; 

but when the nut is unripe, it is difficult to 
separate the kernel from the shell; so it is with 
worldly people who have not realized God. 
Their Atman remains attached to the body ; 
but in true knowledge the Atman appears as 
separate from the body. 

219 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

At this moment Keshab entered the room. 
He was extremely thin and looked almost like 
a skeleton. He could hardly stand on his feet. 
With great difficulty he walked to the couch 
and sat at the feet of Bhagavan Sri Rama- 
krishna. The Bhagavan came down from the 
couch and sat on the floor. Keshab touched his 
forehead to the floor and remained prostrate 
before Him for some time. Ramakrishna held 
Keshab 's hand and said: 

So long as there is knowledge of variety, so 

long there is bondage. When perfect knowledge 

comes, man realizes one Spirit in all. 

Perfect knowl- 

edge brings I n that state he also sees that the same 
realization Q ne j^g become the individual soul, 

of oneness. ., , 1 . 

and the phenomenal world with its 
various states and elements. It is true that 
the Universal Spirit dwells everywhere, but 
His manifestation varies. In some places there 
is greater manifestation and in others less. 
Wherever there is greater manifestation of the 
Spirit, there is also greater manifestation of 
Divine Powers. 

First you will have to realize unity by dis- 
crimination: "Not this, not this." Then after 
reaching this state of realization, when you 
come down to phenomena, you will discover that 

220 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

variety has come from unity and the same unity 
Unity and is the goal of variety. The differ- 
variety. ence j n ^ e manifestation of Sakti 

or power makes the variety. When the flood 
of spiritual realization comes in the soul, like a 
sheet of water the Universal Spirit covers every- 
thing. All distinctions vanish. Then a boat 
can pass over a field and the way from one 
place to another becomes straight across the 
water. 

Keshab was listening with rapt attention. 
Although the room was crowded, absolute silence 
prevailed. The Bhagavan, looking at Keshab, 
then asked: 

How are you? How do you feel? You are 
suffering; but your illness has a deep meaning. 

Meaning of llCi this b ° d y y OU haVe g° ne through 

Keshan's various stages of spiritual develop- 
ment ; the body is now suffering from 
the reaction. When the spiritual waves arise, 
the consciousness of the body vanishes; but it, 
tells upon the body in the end. When a big 
steamer plies in the waters of the Ganges, I 
have seen the waves dash against the shore 
for some time after; the larger the boat, the 
stronger the waves ; sometimes they break down 
the banks. If an elephant enters a small hut., 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it shakes it and breaks it to pieces ; so when the 
elephant of the spiritual Ideal enters into the 
body, it shakes and sometimes shatters it. 
What happens; do you know? If there be a 
fire in the house, it burns up many things. 
Similarly, the fire of Divine Wisdom burns 
all passion, anger and other enemies, and in 
the end destroys the sense of "I, me and mine."- 
The body is then wrenched and shattered. 
You may think that everything is finished, 
but so long as there is the least sign of illness, 
so long He will not make you free. If you 
enroll yourself as a patient in a hospital, you 
cannot come out before you are absolutely 
cured. 

Keshab began to smile. The Bhagavan con- 
tinued: Hridai used to say, after seeing the 
condition of my body: "I have never seen so 
much spirituality with such a state of body!" 
But although my body was weak, still I never 
stopped talking of God with others. At one 
time, I remember^ I was thin like a skeleton, 
yet I would continue discussions on spiritual 
subjects for hours. 

Then shedding tears of sympathy for Keshab, 
the Bhagavan said: It is His will. Everything 
happens by Thy will, O Lord! Thou doest Thy 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

work; by mistake people say, "I do." The 
Ever thin gardener sometimes uncovers the 
the win of roots of rose-bushes that the dew 
may fall upon them. Sometimes he 
trims off some of the roots so that the flowers 
will become larger. Perhaps the Lord is pre- 
paring you to do greater work. But I feel very 
unhappy when you are ill. Last time when 
you were ill, I was so anxious about you that 
I would cry at night and pray to my Divine 
Mother for your recovery. Sometimes I said 
to my Mother: "If Keshab passes away, with 
whom shall I talk about God?" But this time 
I do not feel the same way. 

At this moment Keshab's aged mother came 
near the door and addressed the Bhagavan, say- 
ing: "May Keshab be cured of his illness?" 

The Bhagavan replied: Pray to my blissful 
Divine Mother. She will remove all pain and 
trouble. (To Keshab) Do not spend so much 
time with your family and children. Their 
company will drag you to worldliness. You 
will feel better if you think of God and talk 
about Him. 

Keshab's mother said: Do Thou bless my 
Keshab. 

Ramakrishna: What power have I? God 
223 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

will bless him. Thou doest Thy work, O Divine 
Mother! People say by mistake, "I do it." 
Two are the occasions when the Lord smiles. 
First, when brothers remove the chains which 
partition off the family property, saying: "This 
is mine and that is thine " ; and secondly, when 
the physician of a dying patient declares: "I 
shall make him live." 

Keshab then began to cough and could not 
remain longer, so he bowed down before the 
Bhagavan, saluted Him, and with great diffi- 
culty walked out of the room. Keshab 's eldest 
son was there. A Brahmo devotee said: Bha- 
gavan, lay Thy hand on his head and bless him. 

Ramakrishna replied: It is not for me to 
bless anyone. 

He then gently touched him on his arm and 
said to the Brahmo devotee: I cannot say to 
anyone, "Be thou cured." I never asked my 
Divine Mother for that power. I simply ask 
for pure love and nothing else. 

Sri Ramakrishna then rose to leave. Ke- 
shab 's disciples accompanied Him to the door 
with great reverence, and He passed from the 
house with His disciples. 

224 



CHAPTER VIII 

FEAST AT THE GARDEN-HOUSE OF SURENDRA * 



Sri Ramakrishna was invited by one of His 
beloved disciples, Surendra, a householder, to 
a feast made in his garden-house at Kankur- 
gachi near Calcutta. 

These feasts were invariably occasions for the 
gathering of His disciples, devotees and ad- 
mirers. They were times of real festivity and 
rejoicing, during which the Holy Name of God 
was chanted to the accompaniment of Mridangas 
and other musical instruments. All the while 
the Bhagavan could be seen at His best, sing- 
ing, dancing with the joy of the Lord, and fre- 
quently lost in that blessed state of ecstasy or 
Samadhi. When the singing of devotional 

* See note page 177. 
225 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

hymns and the spiritual excitement which 
came with it were over, the company present 
would be treated by the Bhagavan to one of 
those celestial conversations, so laden with ser- 
mons for the spiritual welfare of humanity, 
which will never die in the memory of those 
who had the rare privilege of listening to Him. 
The first part of the day was given to San- 
kirtan (singing forth the Name of the Lord). 
They were singing the songs telling of the 
separation of the Gopis from the Lord Sri 
Krishna, who had gone to Mathura. In the 
course of the songs, the Bhagavan was fre- 
quently in a state of Samadhi. They were 
singing. Suddenly He rose to His feet, saying: 
"0 my friend, do thou bring my beloved Krish- 
na to me or take me over to the place where 
He is." The Bhagavan, it would appear, had 
merged His personality in that of Radha,* the 
chief of the Gopis. He realized that He and 
Radha were one. With those words He stood 
Ramakrish= speechless and motionless, with fixed 
na's ecstasy, half-closed eyes that moved not, 
evidently having lost all sense-consciousness. 
Coming to Himself, He again, in a voice that 

* See note page 191. 
226 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

drew tears from the eyes of those who heard 
Him, cried out: "0 my friend, do me this favor 
and I shall be thy most devoted servant. 
Remember it was thou that taughtest me my 
love for the Beloved." 

The chorus went on singing. Radha was 
made in the song to say: "0! I will not go to 
the bank of the Jamuna to draw water, for 
coming up to the Kadamba tree I am put in 
mind of my own, my Beloved." Ramakrishna, 
heaving a sigh, said, " Ah, me!" As the chorus 
chanted aloud the name of the Lord, the Bhaga- 
van was again on His feet and in Samadhi. 
Recovering His sense-consciousness, He could 
only repeat inarticulately: "Kitma, Kitma," 
for "Krishna, Krishna." 

The Sankirtan was brought to a close by the 
Bhagavan Himself leading the chorus in the 
well-known piece: " Victory to Radha, Victory 
to Govinda," and dancing with His disciples, 
who formed a ring around Him. 

The dancing and singing had all taken place in 
the reception-hall. The Bhagavan then with- 
The madness drew m to one of the adjoining rooms 
of love for to the west. To a disciple He said, 
talking of the Gopis: How wonder- 
ful was their devotion! At the sight of the 

227 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Tamal tree they were seized with the very mad- 
ness of love. 

Disciple: This was also the case with Chai- 
tanya. Looking at the forest he thought it was 
Vrindavan, the sacred birthplace of Sri Krishna, 
that was before him ! 

Bhagavan: Oh! if anyone is but favored 
with a single particle of this ecstatic love! 
What devotion! What intense love! Of this 
devotion they not only had the full complement 
(sixteen Annas) but a great deal more than the 
full complement — five Sikas and five Annas! 
This is called the madness of Divine Love. 
The chief thing is to have intense love and 
sincere and earnest longing for God. On what- 
ever path you may travel, whether you believe 
in the Divinity with or without form, whether 
you have faith in God-incarnate in a human 
form or not, — if you have intense love and sin- 
cere longing for Him, you are sure to attain to 
Him. He alone knows what He is like. He 
Himself will make you realize His Divine 
Nature. Why should you be mad after the 
things of the world? If you must be mad, 
be mad for God. There is a madness of Divine 
Love, a madness of Bhakti, or ecstasy, and a 
madness of Jnana. Radha had the madness of 

228 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Divine Love. Hanuman showed the madness 

of true devotion. When Sit a was forced by 

Rama to prove her chastity by going through 

the ordeal of fire, Hanuman, although a devotee 

of Rama, was so maddened that he wished to 

kill his Lord, the Divine Incarnation. I saw a 

true Jnani, who wandered like a madman. 

He came to the Temple garden. He had so 

realized the oneness of the Spirit in every living 

creature that when he saw a dog eating the 

remains of a dish, he held him by the ears and 

said: "Brother, wilt thou eat all?" He then 

took a portion and ate with the dog. He said 

to Hridrai: "When the holy waters of the 

Ganges and the water of the gutter appear the 

same, then will come the realization of Divine 

oneness." 

At one time I had this madness. I used to 

walk like a madman, seeing the same Spirit 

everywhere and recognizing neither high nor 

low in caste or creed. I could eat even with a 

Pariah. I had the constant realization that 

Brahman is Truth and the world is unreal like 

a dream. Once Mathura Babu took me in a 

boat. The Mohammedan -crew were cooking 

and I was about to eat with them, but Mathura 

Babu would not let me. In that state I used to 

229 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

bow down before everybody and would ask 
them to repeat the Holy Name of the Lord. 
As in a violent storm a screen of dust rises, 
hiding the trees of different kinds and making 
all trees appear alike, so in that storm of spiritual 
vision I could not distinguish one man from 
another as high or low. 

A devotee: Bhagavan, how can a man live 
in the world and experience any of these kinds 
of madness ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: These states are not for 
those who are living in the world and perform- 
ing the duties of the world, but for those 
who have absolutely renounced internally and 
externally. External renunciation is not for 
those who live in the world. They should practise 
internal renunciation or mental non-attachment. 

(To a disciple) A man brought a bottle of 
wine; I went to touch it but could not. 

Disciple: Why, Bhagavan? 

Ramakrishna: When Divine bliss is attained, 
one becomes intoxicated with it, he does not 
Divine intoxi= need to drink wine. When I see 
cation. the feet of my Divine Mother, I feel 

as intoxicated as if I had drunk five bottles of 
wine. In this state one cannot eat anything 
and everything. 

230 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Disciple: As regards eating, one should eat 
what one gets. 

Ramakrishna: That depends upon the spirit- 
ual state. In the path of Jnana that produces no 
Food for harm ; when a Jnani eats, he pours the 
a Bhakta. f ood as an offering in the fire of Kunda- 
lini. But for a Bhakta it is different. A Bhakta 
should eat only pure food, such food as he can 
freely offer to his Beloved Lord. Animal food is 
not for a Bhakta. But at the same time, I must 
say, if a man loves God after eating the flesh 
of a pig, he is blessed, and wretched is the man 
who lives on milk and rice, but whose mind is 
absorbed in lust and gold. Once I took as 
mantram the name of Allah from a Mohammedan 
teacher and repeated the name for several days 
and ate their food. 

ii 

The Bhagavan then came back into the hall 
followed by His disciples and seated Himself. 
A pillow was placed for Him to recline upon. 
Before touching it, He said, il 0m tat sat" (Brah- 
man is the only Reality). The pillow was, of 
course, one which had been used by the unholy 
men of the world, and the Bhagavan was purity 
itself. It was getting late, but no dinner was 

231 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

being served and the Bhagavan became a little 
impatient like a child. Surendra, the host, 
was a beloved disciple of the Lord. The 
Bhagavan said: Surendra's disposition has 
grown admirable. He is very generous; those 
who go to him for help never come away dis- 
appointed. Then he is very outspoken. He 
is bold enough to speak the truth. 

In this age truthfulness is the best of all 
ascetic practices. He who is firm in truthful- 
ness attains to God. Lack of truth- 
Truthfulness. . 
fulness destroys all virtue, ror this 

reason, when I say anything even inadvertently, 
such as, ''I shall go there. I shall do that," 
I must go, because I have said it. I may lose 
my firmness in truthfulness if I do not keep my 
word to the very letter. Openness as opposed 
to dissimulation is the fruit of the practice of 
many religious austerities in one's previous 
incarnations. In a well-known song by Tulsi 
Das* it is said: "Give up dissimulation and 



* Tulsi Das was a great Hindu poet who lived between 
1544 and 1624 A.D. He was a devoted worshipper of Rama. 
His Hindi poem, "Ramayana," or history of Rama, as 
well as Proverbs and other verses, are to this day household 
words in every town and rural district where the Hindi lan- 

23 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

cunning." Do you not see that whenever God 
has taken a human form, this great virtue of 
guilelessness has never failed to come to view? 
Look at Dasaratha, the father of Rama, and 
Nanda Ghosh, the father of Sri Krishna. They 
were both free from guile. (To a young dis- 
ciple) Like men of the world, you have ac- 
cepted a position, but you are working for 
your mother. Otherwise I should have said: 
''For shame! For shame! You must serve 
only the Lord." (To Mani Mullik) This young 
man is open and guileless to a degree; only 
nowadays he occasionally tells untruths, that 
is all. The other day he said that he would 
come to see me, but he did not. (To Mahendra) 
You went to see Bhagavan Das; how did you 
like him? 

Mahendra: Yes, Revered Sir, I went to see 
him. The great Vaishnava sage has become 
very old. He was lying down when I saw him; 
a disciple put some food into his mouth. He 
can hear only when addressed in loud tones. 
After hearing Thy name, he said to me: "You 
need not fear anything. Ramakrishna is a 

guage is spoken. He is regarded by the people as a Hindu 
saint of the Vaishnava sect. 

2 33 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Divine Manifestation. To worship His name 
is to worship God." 

Here Mahima came in and the Bhagavan ex- 
claimed: This is a visit quite unexpected! We 
expect at most a shallop in this poor river of 
ours, yet here comes a ship! But then it is the 
rainy season ! 

The conversation next turned on the spiritual 
aspect of feasts and the Bhagavan said to 
Mahima: Why is it that people are fed at a 
feast? Do you not think that it is the same as 
offering a sacrifice to God who is the Living 
Fire in all creatures? But bad men, not God- 
fearing, guilty of adultery and fornication, 
should on no account be entertained at a feast. 
Their sins are so great that several cubits of 
earth beneath the place where they eat become 
polluted. 

iii 

Protap Chunder Mozoomdar,* a member of 
the Brahmo-Samaj, entered and saluted Sri 

* Protap Chunder Mozoomdar is well known in America 
as Mr. Mozoomdar. He was a co-worker of Keshab Chunder 
Sen and became a leader of the "New Dispensation" sect of 
the Brahmo-Samaj. He came to the Parliament of Re- 
ligions at Chicago in 1893 a.d., and delivered addresses in 

234 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Ramakrishna. The Bhagavan, as usual, re- 
turned his salutation with His well-known 
modesty, bowing very low. Mozoomdar said: 
Revered Sir, I have recently been to Darjeeling. 

Sri Ramakrishna : But you do not appear to 
be much the better for the change. What is 
the matter with you ? 

Mozoomdar: The same complaint to which 
Keshab Chunder Sen succumbed. 

A certain Mahratta lady was then spoken of. 
Mozoomdar said that she had been to England 
and had embraced Christianity. He asked the 
Bhagavan whether He had ever heard of the 
woman. The Bhagavan replied: No, but from 
what I hear from you, I should think she must 
be a person who wishes to make a name for her- 
Egotism rises self - Egotism of this kind is not 
from igno- good. Those who seek for fame are 
rafKt under a delusion. "I do this or 

that," this sense arises from ignorance. But 
"O Lord, Thou art doing everything" is true 



many principal cities of America. He was the author of 
the "Oriental Christ." In 1879 ne wrote his celebrated 
article on "Ramakrishna," which was published in the 
Theistic Quarterly Review of India; and which was incor- 
porated with "My Master" by Swami Vivekananda. 

2 35 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

knowledge. God is the real Actor, others are 
actors in name only. 

The calf says, "Hamma" or M Aham" (I). 
Now look at the troubles caused by the self which 
The ego says "I, I." In the first place, the 

of a calf. ca jf j s sometimes taken into the field 
where it is yoked to the plough. It is there 
made to work on from morning till evening, 
alike in the sun and in the rain. Its troubles 
are not yet over. It is very often killed by the 
butcher. Its flesh is eaten as meat. Its skin 
is tanned into hides which are then made into 
shoes. The sufferings -of the calf in this state 
know no bounds. But that is not all. Drums 
are made with the skin which is thus merci- 
lessly beaten, sometimes with the hand and 
sometimes with the drumstick. It is only when 
out of its entrails are made strings for the bows 
used for carding cotton that the troubles of the 
poor creature are over. And that is because it 
no longer says, ''Hamma, Hamma" (I, I), but 
"Tuhum, Tuhum" (It is Thou, O Lord! It is 
Thou!). Similarly, when Jiva (ego) says, "O 
Lord! Not I but Thou art the doer and actor, 
I am merely an instrument in Thy hand," it 
becomes free from all the world's troubles and 
attains to absolute freedom from birth and 

236 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

rebirth in this world of sorrow and suffer- 
ing. 

A devotee: How can Jiva become free from 
egoism (Ahamkara) ? 

Bhagavan: Egoism does not leave until one 
has realized God. If anyone has become ab- 
solutely free from egoism (Ahamkara) you must 
know that that person has seen and realized 
Divinity. 

Devotee: Revered Sir, what are the signs of 
one who has seen and realized God ? 

Bhagavan: The signs of one who has seen 
God are thus described in Bhagavatam. There 
c.-„„e„f™« ar e f° ur kinds. First, His conduct 

Signs of one ' 

who has real- is like that of a child. A truly wise 
man who has seen the Lord becomes 
like a child. A child has no real egoism. He 
is not bound by any custom. The self of the 
child is nothing at all like the self of the grown- 
up man. The second sign is that one who has 
seen God does not care for his body or his dress. 
Purity and impurity seem to him the same. 
Third, Such an one sometimes acts like a mad- 
man, now laughing, now weeping, and the next 
moment talking to himself; now dressed like a 
Babu (gentleman) and now taking his one gar- 
ment under his arm and going quite naked like 

2 37 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

a child. Lastly, he may remain inert and motion- 
less for a long time in the state of Samadhi. 

Devotee: After God-vision does egoism 
(Ahamkara) disappear entirely? 

Bhagavan : Sometimes the Lord wipes out the 
last stain of egoism, as in the state of Samadhi. 
Again, sometimes He leaves a faint trace of ego- 
ism, but that is harmless. It is like that of an 
innocent child, who knows not the doing of in- 
jury to anyone. The steel sword is turned into 
gold by the touch of the Philosopher's Stone. 
It still retains its shape but it does not injure 
anyone. 

Bhagavan to Mozoomdar: You have been to 
England and America. Tell me all about what 
you saw there. 

Mozoomdar: Sir, people in England mostly 
worship what Thou callest Kanchan (gold), but 
there are some good men and women who are 
not so attached to worldliness. Generally 
speaking, one sees nothing but worldly activity 
(Rajas) everywhere from beginning to end. 

Bhagavan: I have seen the same thing too. 
Why in England and America alone ? Attach- 
Attachment ment to work is to be found in 
to work. every country. That worldly ac- 
tivity is the first chapter of life. So long 

238 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

as the Rajas quality predominates, attach- 
ment to work increases. One cares more 
for one's own worldly good, — riches, honor, 
fame. It gradually leads to ignorance which 
makes one forget God, the Reality of the uni- 
verse. God cannot be realized until the Sattwa 
qualities, such as devotion, right discrimina- 
tion, dispassion and compassion for all, prevail. 
All attachment to lust and gold proceeds from 
Rajas and Tamas qualities, but work cannot 
be renounced entirely. Propelled by nature 
(Prakriti) you plunge into work even against 
your wish. Therefore I say you should work 
with non-attachment; in other words, you 
should work without seeking the fruit. 

In a great religious ceremony we give alms 
to the poor and do various other charitable 
works and may think that we are absolutely 
unattached to the results of such works, but in 
the end we find that the desire for name and 
fame has crept up in the heart, we do not 
know how. But he alone who has seen and 
realized God can become absolutely unattached 
to work and its result. 

A devotee: What is the path for those who 
have not realized God? Is it necessary for 
them to give up all work and worldly activity? 

239 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Ramakrishna: In this age (Kali-Yuga) the 
path of devotion and love (Bhakti-Yoga) is 
Path of easy for all. The practice of Narada's 

devotion. Bhakti is better adapted to this 
Yuga. One should repeat the Holy Name of 
the Lord and chant His praises and with earnest 
and sincere heart , pray to Him , saying : ■ ' O Lord , 
grant me Thy divine Wisdom, Thy divine Love. 
Do Thou open my eyes and make me realize 
Thee." 

When Karma Yoga is so difficult to practice, 
one should pray to the Lord in this manner: 
"0 Lord! Do Thou reduce our Karma to a 
minimum, and the little work that we daily 
perform, may we do it with non-attachment 
by Thy grace. O Lord! Do not let our desire 
for work increase in number and bind us to 
worldliness." 

Devotee : People of the West (in England and 
America) always say, "Work, work, work. " Is 
is work the not work (Karma) then the end and 

aim of life? aml Q f life ? 

Ramakrishna : The end and aim of life is the 
attainment of God. Work (Karma) is nothing 
but the first chapter of life; how can it be its 
end and aim? But work, without seeking the 
result, is a means, not the end. 

240 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

No one, however, can avoid work (Karma). 
Every mental action is a Karma. "I am 
thinking," "I meditate," "I feel," each of these 
is a Karma. The more one attains to true 
devotion the less becomes one's worldly work. 
The pleasures of the world do not satisfy such a 
soul. They lose their charm. How can one 
who has tasted the Sherbet made with pure 
crystallized sugar be pleased with the taste of a 
drink made with molasses or treacle ? On one 
occasion a Karma Yogi (Sambhu) said to me: 
"May Thy blessing be that my wealth be spent 
in building hospitals and dispensaries, . in 
making roads, in sinking wells for travelers, 
in establishing schools, colleges, and in other 
good works." Whereupon I replied: "Sambhu, 
all these works are good when they are per- 
formed with non-attachment. But that is very 
difficult. In any case you should always keep 
in mind that the end and aim of your human 
existence is the attainment of God and not 
hospitals and dispensaries. Suppose the Lord 
appears before you and graciously offers to 
fulfill your desires. Will you then pray for 
dispensaries and hospitals, tanks and wells, 
roads and serais, or will you say: 'O Lord! 

Grant that I may have pure and unalloyed 

241 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

love for Thee and unswerving devotion to Thy 
feet, that I may always feel Thy presence and 
realize Thee under all conditions ' ? " Hospitals, 
dispensaries and all these things are transitory; 
God alone is the Reality, all else is unreal. 
Once placed face to face with the Vision Divine, 
we see them as no better than dreams and then 
we pray for more light, more wisdom, more 
Divine Love, the love which lifts a man to God, 
the love which makes us realize that we are 
really sons of the Supreme Being, of whom all 
that can be said is that He exists, that He is 
Knowledge itself in the highest sense, and that 
He is the Eternal Fountain of Love and Bliss. 
Attainment of Again, when one attains to God- 
God=vision. vision, one feels that God alone is the 
real Actor in the universe, the Doer of all things, 
and that we can do nothing. If God does every- 
thing, then why, instead of realizing Him, shall 
we get entangled in the meshes of worldly 
works? First realize God; then, if it be His will, 
many hospitals and dispensaries may be estab- 
lished. Therefore, I say, never lose sight of this 
goal of life that I have pointed out for you, but 
move onward through the practices of devotion 
and love. When you have advanced far enough 

you will know that God alone is the Reality, 

242 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that all the things of the world are unreal and 
that the highest end and aim of life is the 
attainment of God. 

There was a wood-cutter who led a very 
miserable life with the small means he could 
Parable of a procure by daily selling a load of 
wood-cutter. woo d brought from a neighboring 
forest. Once a Sannyasin, who was passing 
that way, saw him at work and advised him to 
go further into the forest, saying: "Move on- 
ward, my child, move onward." The wood- 
cutter obeyed the injunction and proceeded on- 
ward until he came to a sandal wood-tree, and 
being much pleased, he took away with him as 
many sandal logs as he could carry, sold them 
in the market and derived much profit. Then 
he began to wonder within himself why the 
good Sannyasin had not told him anything 
about the wood of the sandal -tree, but had 
simply advised him to move onward. So the 
next day he went on beyond the place of the 
sandalwood until he came upon a copper-mine, 
and he took with him all the copper that he 
could carry, and selling it in the market, got 
more money by it. Next day, without stopping 
at the copper-mine, he proceeded further still, 
as the Sadhu had advised him to do, and he 

243 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

came upon a silver-mine and took with him as 
much of it as he could carry, sold it and got 
even more money, and so daily proceeding 
further and further, he found gold-mines and 
diamond-mines and at last became exceedingly 
rich. Such is also the case with the man who 
aspires after true Knowledge. If he does not 
stop in his progress after attaining a few extra- 
ordinary and supernatural powers, he at last 
becomes really rich in the eternal knowledge of 
Truth. 

So go on, my children, and never lose sight of 
your ideal! Go onward and never stop until 
you have reached the goal. Arriving at a par- 
ticular stage, do not get the idea that you have 
reached your journey's end. Work is only the 
first stage of the journey. Bear in mind that 
doing works unattached is exceedingly difficult, 
that therefore Bhakti Yoga, the path of love, 
is better suited to this age, and that work, 
even if unattached, is not the end of your 
life, but only a means to an end. So march 
on and never halt till you have come up to 
the great Ideal of your life — the realization of 
God. • 

Referring to lectures given by members of 
religious bodies like the Brahmo Samaj and 

244 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Harisabha,* the Bhagavan said: One can form 
Lectures and an estimate of a man from the lec- 
sermons of tures he delivers. A pandit was lectur- 
preac ers. -^ ag ^ e preceptor (Acharya) of a 
certain Harisabha. In the course of his sermon 
he said: "The Lord has not Rasa (sweetness). 
Let us make Him sweet by giving Him our love 
and devotion." By sweetness he meant love 
and tenderness. 

It reminded me of the story in which a boy 
was trying to convince his friends that his uncle 

Story of a boy had a S reat man y horses b Y Saying 

and the cow- he had a whole cow-house full of 
horses. Of course any intelligent 
person could at once see that a cow-house was not 
the same as a stable and that horses are never 
kept in a cow-house. What would people think 
after hearing such absurd statements? They 
would laugh and come to the conclusion that 
the uncle had no horses at all. See how absurd 
it is to say that God is devoid of sweetness, God 
who is the Fountain-head of all sweet and tender 
qualities ! 

Then turning to Mozoomdar the Bhagavan 
said: You are an educated and intelligent man, 

* Harisabha is an orthodox Hindu Society. 
245 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

you are a deep thinker. Keshab and yourself 
were like the brothers Gour * (Chaitanya) and 
Netai.f You have had enough of this world — 
enough of lectures, controversies, schisms and 
the rest. Do you still care for them? Now, 
it is high time for you to collect your scattered 
mind and turn towards God. Plunge into the 
ocean of Divinity. 

Mozoomdar: Yes, Revered Sir, that I ought 
to do. There is no doubt about it. But all 
this I do simply to preserve Keshab 's name and 
reputation. 

Ramakrishna (smiling) : You believe that you 
are doing all this, as you say, for Keshab, but 
story of a after a while this idea will change 
man and his and you will think differently. Let 
me tell you a story. A man built a 
cottage on a mountain-top. It cost him hard 
labor and much money. After a few days 
there arose a cyclone and the cottage began to 
rock to and fro. He was very anxious to save 

* "Gour" is the abbreviated form of "Gouranga," another 
name of Chaitanya. See note page 7. 

t "Netai" is also the abbreviated form of "Nityananda," 
the most powerful preacher among the followers of Chai- 
tanya. He is regarded by the Vaishnavas of this sect as 
the spiritual brother of Gouranga. 

246 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it, so he prayed to the Wind-god, saying: 
"Lord, I beseech thee, do not destroy this cot- 
tage"; but the Wind-god did not listen. He 
prayed again, but the cottage kept on rocking. 
Then he thought out a plan to save it. He re- 
membered that in the mythology Hanuman was 
the son of the Wind-god. Instantly he cried 
out : "Lord, I beg of Thee, spare this cottage, for 
it belongs to Hanuman, Thy son." But the 
Wind-god did not listen. Then he said, "Lord, 
I pray Thee, spare this cottage, for it belongs to 
Hanuman 's Lord, Rama." Still the Wind-god 
did not listen. Then, as the cottage was about 
to topple over, the man, to save his life, ran out 
of it and began to swear, saying: "Let it go to 
destruction!. What is that to me?" You may 
now be anxious to preserve Keshab's name; 
but console yourself with the thought that it 
was after all owing to God's will that the re- 
ligious movement connected with his name was 
set on foot, and that if the movement has had 
its day, it is also owing to that same Divine will. 
Therefore dive deep into the sea. And the 
Bhagavan sang: 

i. Dive deep, dive deep, dive deep, O my mind! 
into the sea of Beauty. 
247 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISttNA 

Make a search in the regions lower, still lower 
below the bottom of the sea : 

Thou wilt surely find the jewel of Prema (in- 
tense love of God). 

2. Within thy heart Vrindavan (the abode of 

the God of Love). 
Search, search, search; searching Thou wilt 

find it. 
Then in the heart shall burn, burn, burn the 

Lamp of Wisdom without ceasing. 

3. Who is it that steers the boat on land, on 

land, on land? 
Says Kuvir: Listen, listen, listen; meditate 
on the Lotus feet of Guru. 

Do you hear the song? You have finished 
your lectures, quarrels and fights. Now dive 
in this ocean. There is no fear of death in this 
sea. It is the sea of Immortality. Do not 
fear that one becomes unbalanced by medi- 
tating on God. I once said to Narendra (Vive- 
kananda) — 

Mozoomdar (interrupting): Who is this Na- 
rendra ? 

Bhagavan: Oh, there is a young man of that 
248 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

name. Well, I said to Narendra: "God is like 
a sea of immortal syrup. Would you not dive 
deep into this sea? Suppose, my boy, there 
is a basin containing the syrup of sugar and 
that you are a fly anxious to drink of the sweet 
liquid. Where would you sit and drink?" 
Narendra said in reply: "Why! from the edge 
of the basin! If I go far from the edge I may 
be drowned and lose my life." Thereupon I 
said to him: "My boy, in the sea of Divinity 
God, the sea there is no fear of that kind. Do 
of immortality. y OU no i know that it is the sea of 
Immortality? Whosoever dives into this sea 
does not die but obtains everlasting life." 
He who is mad after God can never become 
unbalanced or insane. (To the Bhaktas) 

Work without devotion (Bhakti) to God has 
in this age no ground to stand upon. First 
Work without cultivate devotion (Bhakti) ; all other 
devotion. things — schools, dispensaries, and 
charitable works shall, if you wish, be added 
unto you. First devotion, then work. Work, 
apart from devotion or love of God, is helpless 
and cannot stand. 

Mozoomdar made inquiries about the disci- 
ples. He asked whether those who came to 
the Bhagavan were getting better in the spirit 

249 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

day by day. The Bhagavan said : I place 
before them the ideal of a wet-nurse as teaching 
ideal of a them how to live in this world. The 
wet=nurse. maid-servant referring to her master's 
house says, "This is our house." All the while she 
knows that her home is far away in a distant 
village, to which her thoughts are all sent forth. 
Again, referring to the master's child in her arms, 
she will say: "My Hari has grown very wicked," 
or "My Hari likes to eat this or that," and so 
on. But all the while she knows that Hari 
is not her own. I tell those who come to me 
to live a life unattached like this maid-servant. 
I tell them to live unattached to this world, 
to be in the world but not of the world, and 
at the same time to have their mind directed 
to God, the heavenly home from whence all 
come. I tell them to pray for love of God 
(Bhakti), which will help them so to live. 

After a short time the conversation turned 
on the agnosticism of Europe and America, and 
a nostidsm Mozoomdar said: Whatever people 
in Europe in the West may profess to be, none 

and America. of them> ag it seems to m6j j s an 

atheist at heart. The European thinkers all 
admit an unknown Power behind the uni- 
verse. 

250 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan: How can they be atheists when 
they believe in Sakti, the Eternal Energy? 

Mozoomdar: They also admit the moral 
government of the universe. 

As Mozoomdar rose to take leave, the Bhaga- 
van said to him : What shall I say ? It is better 
that you cease to have anything to do with 
all those things — schisms, controversies, etc. 
All quarrels and disputes spring from egotism 
and attachment to the world. These keep men 
away from God. Therefore abandon all earthly 
attachment and fix your mind on the Almighty. 



Mozoomdar then saluted the Bhagavan and 
withdrew. After he had gone, a devotee asked: 
Revered Sir, Thou didst go to see Vidyasagara, 
what dost Thou think of him? 

Ramakrishna: Vidyasagara is a very learned 
scholar. He is kind and charitable, but he has 
no spiritual consciousness. There is gold inside; 
if he had been aware of it, he could not have 
devoted so much of his time to external work. 
Eventually his work would have been finished. 
If he knew that God was dwelling within his 
heart, his mind would have been fixed in 

2 $* 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

thinking and meditating on Him. Some people 
have to perform work without attachment for 
a long time before true dispassion for the world 
comes; then the mind runs towards God and 
becomes absorbed in Him. Whatever work 
Vidyasagara has done for others has been very 
compassion g° od and helpful. To be kind and 
and attach- compassionate is also good ; but there 
is a difference between compassion 
and attachment. Compassion is good, but 
attachment is not. Attachment is love for 
wife, children, brother, sister, father, mother 
and other relatives, while true compassion is 
equal love for all living creatures. 

Mahendra: Is compassion also a bondage? 

Ramakrishna: This question is not for ordi- 
nary mortals. Compassion is the result of the 
Sattwa, Rajas,, Sattwa quality. The Sattwa quality 
andTamas. j s protective, the Rajas quality is 
creative, and Tamas is destructive: but 
Brahman the Absolute is beyond these three 
qualities, Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas, It is also 
beyond Prakriti or nature. Where there is abso- 
lute Reality, no quality of nature can reach. 
As a thief cannot go to the exact spot where 
the treasure is, because he is afraid of being 
caught, so Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas, like 

252 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

thieves, cannot go to the realm where is the 
treasure of the Absolute. 

A man was going through the woods. On 
his way he was caught by a band of three 
Parable of the robbers. They took away every - 
three robbers, thing he had. Then the first robber 
asked: "What is the use of keeping this man 
alive?" And drawing his sword, he was about 
to kill him, when the second robber stopped 
him, saying: "What good will be done by killing 
him? Tie his hands and feet and throw him 
to one side." So they bound his hands and 
feet and went away leaving him by the roadside. 
After they had been gone for a while, the third 
robber returned and said to him: "Ah! are 
you hurt? Come, let me untie the cords and 
release you." Then when he had removed the 
cords, he said: "Now come with me. I will 
show you the road." After walking for a long 
distance, they found the road, and then the 
robber said: " Look, there is your home. Follow 
the road and you w T ill soon reach it." The 
man, thanking him, replied: "Sir, you have 
done me a great service. I am greatly obliged 
to you. Will you not come with me to my 
house ?" The robber answered: "No, I cannot 
go there; the guard would find me out." 

2 53 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

This world is the wilderness. The three 
Three Gunas robbers are the three Gunas 
of nature. Q f nature, — Sattwa, Rajas, and 
Tamas. Jiva or the individual soul is the 
traveler; self-knowledge is his treasure. The 
Tamas quality tries to destroy the Jiva, the 
Rajas quality binds him with the fetters of the 
world, but the Sattwa quality protects him 
from the actions of Rajas and Tamas. By 
taking refuge with the Sattwa quality, Jiva 
becomes free from lust and anger, which are 
effects of Tamas; the Sattwa quality also 
emancipates the Jiva or the individual soul 
from the bondage of the world. But Sattwa 
quality itself is also a robber. It cannot give 
Divine wisdom or the knowledge of the Abso- 
lute. It leads one, however, up to the path 
of the Supreme Abode and then it says: " Be- 
hold, there is thy home!" Then it disappears. 
Even the Sattwa quality cannot go near the 
abode of the Absolute. 

What the Absolute is no one can tell. He 
About the Ab= w ^° h as attained the Absolute can- 
soiute nothing not give any information about it. 
can be told. Four travelers discovered a place 

enclosed by a high wall, with no opening any- 
where. They were very anxious to see what 

2 54 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

was inside. So one of them climbed to the top 
of the wall and as he looked in, he shouted with 
amazement and joy, "Ha! ha! ha!" and with- 
out giving any information to his fellow- 
travellers, he jumped inside. The others did 
likewise. Whoever climbs to the top of the 
Parable of the wall jumps inside with extreme joy 
four travelers. an( j neV er comes back to give the 
news of what he has found. Such is the realm 
of the Absolute, The great souls who have 
realized the Absolute have not come back, be- 
cause after attaining the highest knowledge of 
Brahman, one absolutely loses the sense of "I." 
The mind ceases to be active, and all sense-con- 
sciousness vanishes. This state is called Brah- 
ma-Jnana or Divine wisdom. 

A devotee: Revered Sir, did not the perfected 
soul Sukadeva attain to Brahma- Jnana, the 
Knowledge of the Absolute ? 

Ramakrishna: Some say that Sukadeva saw 
the ocean of the Absolute Brahman and touched 
its waters,, but he did not go into the water; 
therefore he was able to come back and teach 
mankind. Others believe that he attained to 
the Absolute Brahman and then returned to 
help humanity. 

Devotee: Does sectarianism exist after the 
2 55 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma-Jnana) has 
been attained? 

Ramakrishna: I was talking with Keshab 
Sen of this Brahma-Jnana. Keshab asked me 

Sectarianism to sa y more about the Absolute. I 
and Brahma- replied: ''If I say more, your sect 
and creed will vanish." Keshab an- 
swered: "Revered Sir, then I do not wish to 
hear more." Still, I said to Keshab: " 'I, me, 
mine,' this is ignorance; 'I am the doer,' 'I am 
the actor,' 'This is my wife, these are my chil- 
dren, my property, wealth, fame,' all these arise 
from ignorance." Keshab replied: "Revered 
Sir, nothing will be left, if the sense of 'I' be 
abandoned." I answered: "Keshab, I do not 
ask you to abandon the whole of the sense of 
The unripe ' I ' ; but leave out the unripe ' I ' — ■ 
and ripe " i." <j am t he doer,' 'my wife, my chil- 
dren, I am the teacher,' abandoning this sense of 
'I,' retain the ripe 'I ' — 'I am His servant, I am 
His devotee,' 'I am not the doer, but He is the 
Actor.' " 

Devotee: Can the ripe "I" make a sect? 

Ramakrishna: I said to Keshab: "I am the 
leader of a sect, I have founded a sect, I am 
teaching others, all these proceed from the 

sense of the unripe 'I.' " Therefore I asked 

256 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Keshab to abandon this "I." I also said to 
him: '.* You talk of your sect, many members of 
your sect have resigned." Keshab replied: 
Keshab and "Revered Sir, after remaining for 
his disciples, three years under my instructions, 
they have now joined another sect, and at the 
time of leaving, they criticised and slandered 
me." I said to him: "You do not understand 
the inner nature of your disciples. You must 
study their predominant traits and you must 
not make disciples indiscriminately." 

Ram Babu* : Bhagavan, I do not see what good 
has been done by the New Dispensation of Ke- 
shab Sen. If Keshab himself had realized God, 
the condition of his disciples and followers 
would have been different. In my opinion he 
has had no realization. 

Sri Ramakrishna: Oh yes, he must have 
some realization; otherwise why should so 
many people honor and respect him? Why do 
they not honor and respect the leaders of other 
branches of the Brahmo-Samaj in the same 



* Ram Babu was a devoted householder disciple of Sri 
Ramakrishna. He was a scientist and a teacher of chem- 
istry in the Medical College of Calcutta. He was a good 
speaker and a writer. 

257 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

way? Without Divine will no one can com- 
mand such respect from the masses. A man 
cannot become a true spiritual leader 

A spiritual . 

leader must unless he practises absolute renun- 
renounce ciation. Without this people will 

the world. j . . . . .. ^ r 

have no faith m him. They will say: 
"This man is worldly. He himself enjoys the 
pleasures of the flesh and wealth, yet he tells us 
that God is Truth while the world is unreal like 
a dream." The world will not receive his teach- 
ings unless he has renounced everything. A 
few people may listen to him and follow him. 
Keshab Sen was in the world and had his mind 
on worldly things. He tried to support his 
family by giving lectures and by marrying his 
daughter to a prince, thus protecting his worldly 
relations and social position. Once Keshab 
Why God can= asked me : "Why can I not see God ? " 
not be seen, j answered: "Because you have ab- 
sorbed yourself in seeking the honor and respect 
of people, in education and so on. So long as 
the child is absorbed in playing with its dolls, 
the mother does not come. But when the child 
throws away the doll and cries for the mother, 
the mother cannot stay away. You think that 
you are a leader, but the Divine Mother thinks: 
'My child believes that he has become a leader 

258 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and is happy; let him enjoy his belief.' " I 
also told him to believe in the Divine Mother, 
The Absolute ^hat the Absolute and the Divine 
and the Divine Mother are one. The Divine Mother is 
Mother * the eternal Energy. They are in- 

separable. They appear as separate so long as 
we are conscious of the body and as we try to 
describe them by words. Eventually Keshab 
believed in the Divine Mother. Once he came 
with his disciples to see me. I asked him to 
give a lecture, so he delivered his lecture and 
after it I had a long talk with him. I said: 

God Hisdevo="^ e w ^° * s ^ e Personal God mani- 
tee and His fests in one form as His devotee and 

word one. j£ another f Qrm as His WQr(L . . Then 

I went on to say to him: "You are living in the 
realm of Maya (worldliness) . This Maya does 
not let anyone know God. It keeps all in 
ignorance." 

How wonderful is its power! It entangles 
even a Divine Incarnation and makes Him 
Delusive pow- suffer from hunger, thirst, sorrow, 
er of Maya. misery, like an ordinary mortal. Do 
you not see how Rama, the Divine Incarnation, 
suffered for Sita? How with great sorrow, He 
wept bitterly when Sita was stolen away from 
Him ? In the Hindu mythology there is a story 

2 59 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that Vishnu incarnated in the form of a boar to 
Vishnu as a destroy the demons ; but after destroy- 
boar. j n g t ] le demons, He did not care to 

return to his Heaven, He wanted to live as a 
boar. He had some little ones and He was 
happy with them. The Devas of the heaven 
thought: "How is it that our Lord does not 
come back? What has happened? " Then they 
went to Shiva and asked Him to persuade Vishnu 
to return to His heaven. Shiva came and en- 
treated Him, but He was taking care of His 
young ones and paid no heed. Then Shiva 
tore open His body with His triad and freed Him 
from His self-delusion. Vishnu then laughed 
and returned to His heavenly abode. Such is 
the power of Maya! To go beyond its realm 
and rise above the Gunas (qualities) is ex- 
tremely difficult. He who has attained to God 
has transcended Maya with its qualities. 

260 






CHAPTER IX 

VISIT TO A HINDU PANDIT AND PREACHER 



It was the day of the great car festival of 
Jagannath. The streets of Calcutta were 
crowded with people. Boys and girls were 
playing along the way and amusing themselves 
by blowing horns and pipes made of palm-leaves. 
A light rain was falling and the roads were wet 
and muddy. About four o'clock in the after- 
noon the Bhagavan came out of Ishan's * house 
and entered a carriage which was waiting for 
Him at the door. Immediately after taking 
his seat He lost sense-consciousness and went 
Abeshaof into that state of pure God-con- 
Ramakrishna. sciousness which He had often called 
His Abesha. The disciples followed their Divine 

* Ishan Chunder Mookerjee was a pious Brahmin house- 
holder. He regarded Sri Ramakrishna as the Incarnation 
of Divine Wisdom. 

261 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Master on foot, for they were eager to be present 
at this memorable meeting with Pandit Sasa- 
dhar,* the great preacher of the Vedanta phi- 
losophy and religion. 

The Pandit was visiting a friend in Calcutta. 
As Sri Ramakrishna's carriage drew up at the 
entrance-door, He was warmly welcomed by 
the host and his people. Coming upstairs the 
Bhagavan met Sasadhar advancing towards 
Him. He appeared to be a middle-aged man 
with a fair complexion and around his neck was 
thrown a rosary of Rudraksha beads. He came 
forward with a reverential air, saluted the 
Bhagavan, and led Him to the parlor which 
was intended for His reception. The disciples 
and others went in after Him and seated them- 
selves as near Him as they could. Among the 
many disciples present was Narendra. The 
Bhagavan, smiling in His semiconscious state, 



* Pandit Sasadhar Tarkachuramoni was a Sanskrit 
scholar of great renown and an eloquent preacher of the 
philosophy and religion of Vedanta. By his powerful speeches 
he succeeded in checking the materialistic tendency of the 
Hindu students of Bengal. He also gave rational explana- 
tions of the rituals and ceremonies described in the Hindu 
Scriptures. 

262 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

said: "Very good, very good! Well, what 
kind of lectures do you give?" 

Sasadhar: Revered Sir, I try to explain the 
truth taught by the Holy Scriptures. 

Bhagavan: For this age Bhakti Yoga, com- 
munion with God by love, devotion and self- 
surrender, as practised by the Rishi Narada, is 
enjoined. There is hardly time for Karma 
Yoga, for doing the works laid upon man by 
the Scriptures. Do you not see that the well- 
known decoction of the ten medicinal roots 
(Dasamul Pachan) is not the medicine for 
fevers of the present day? The patient runs 
the risk of being carried off before the medicine 
has had time to take effect. Fever-mixture ' ' 
is therefore the order of the day. Teach them 
Karma if you like, but leave aside the head 
and tail of the fish. I tell people not to bother 
with the long ritual of Sandhya, but to repeat 
only the short Gayatri.* You are welcome to 
talk of work to such people if you must. 

* Gayatri is the most sacred and the most universally used 
of all Vedic prayers among the Hindus. It is a Sanskrit 
Mantram or formula which means: "Let us meditate on 
that" glorious self -effulgent light of the : Divine Sun; may He 
enlighten our Buddhi or understanding. " This is still the 
daily prayer of all the Hindus of the upper three castes. 

263 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Give thousands of lectures, you cannot do 
anything with worldly men. Can you drive a 

Effect of iec= na ^ * n ^° a stone wa ll? The head 
tureson will be broken without making any 

worldly men. impression on the waU# Strike the 

back of an alligator with a sword, it will receive 
no impression. The mendicant's bowl (of 
gourd-shell) may have been to the four great 
holy places of India but still be as bitter as ever. 
But you will learn this gradually. A calf can- 
not stand on its legs all at once. It falls down, 
gets up, falls again, and then it learns to stand 
and run. You do not know who is a Bhakta 
(godly) and who is worldly; but that is not 
your fault. When a heavy storm blows, one 
cannot distinguish Tamarind from Mango-tree. 
It is true, however, that no one can absolutely 
renounce all works without realizing God. The 
question is, how long should Sandhya (rituals) 
and other ceremonial works be practised? So 
long as the Holy Name of the Lord does not 
bring tears of love to the eyes and produce 
horripilation in the body. When you are utter- 
ing "Om Rama," if tears of love come to your 
eyes, you will know for certain that the term of 
your Karma (works and duties) is over. You 

are no longer obliged to perform Sandhya and 

264 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

other works. You have risen above Karma. 
When the fruit appears, the blossom drops off. 
The true Bhakti is the fruit, while work is the 
blossom. 

When the daughter-in-law of the house is 
with child, she cannot do much work; so the 
mother-in-law daily reduces the number of her 
duties. As the time of her delivery draws near, 
the mother-in-law seldom allows her to do any- 
thing; and when the child is born, she fondles 
and caresses it and ceases altogether to work. 

Sandhya merges into Gayatri ; Gayatri into 
Om, and Om ultimately loses itself in Samadhi. 
au rituals end As the sound of a bell — Ding, dong — 
in Samadhi. gradually fades away into the Infinite, 
so the soul of a Yogi gradually rises with the 
Nada (the sound of Om) and becomes merged 
in the Absolute Brahman in Samadhi. Into 
this Samadhi eventually enter all Karma, — 
Sandhya, Gayatri and other works. In this 
manner the Jnanis are freed from all rituals and 
religious exercises. 

ii 

As the Bhagavan was talking of Samadhi, a 
strange heavenly expression came over His sweet, 
radiant face. He lost all outward consciousness, 

265 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

After remaining speechless in this state for 
some time, He came down and like a child said, 
"Give me a little water." This call for water 
was the usual sign of His return to the plane of 
sense-consciousness. Then He murmured: "0 
Mother! The other day Thou didst show me 
Vidyasagara. Then I desired to see a Pandit 
and Thou hast brought me here." 

Turning to Sasadhar, the Bhagavan said: 
My son, add to your spiritual strength, go 
The necessity through devotional exercises a little 
of practice. longer. You have hardly got up 
into the tree, how can you expect to lay your 
hand upon its fruit? But you are doing all 
this for the good of others. Saying this the 
Bhagavan bowed to Sasadhar and continued: 
When I first heard your name, I inquired whether 
this Pandit was merely an ordinary Pandit or 
one who had attained right discrimination (Vi- 
veka) and dispassion (Vairagya) . He is not a true 
Pandit who does not possess right discrimination. 

If there has been a commission (Adesha) from 
the Supreme, then there is no harm in teach- 

The Divinely- in S otners - Such a Divinely-commis- 
commissioned sioned teacher is invincible. No one 

teacher. can defeat ^^ Jf one s i n gl e ray 

from the Goddess of Wisdom falls upon a man, 

266 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it brings to him such power that before him the 
greatest Pandits become like worms of the 
earth. When a lamp is lighted, swarms of 
moths rush of themselves towards it without 
waiting to be called. So he who has received 
a Divine commission, for him there is no need to 
seek followers or to make known the time of his 
lectures. His own power of attraction is so great 
that people of their own accord crowd around 
him. Then kings and nobles flock to him say- 
ing: "We have brought mangoes, sweets, 
money, jewels and shawls; of these what will 
you accept?" To such people I say: "Take 
them away, I do not want any of them." 

Does a magnet ever say to the iron, "Come 
to me?" No; drawn by the magnet, it goes of 
itself. Such a man may not be a Pandit, still 
do not think for ' a moment that he lacks in 
knowledge. Is true wisdom acquired by read- 
ing books? There is no end to the wisdom of 
one who has received a Divine commission. 
That wisdom comes from God and therefore it 
is endless. In our country in measuring grain, 
one man weighs and the other pushes small 
heaps of grain on to him. In like manner when 
the Divinely-commissioned teacher gives in- 
struction, my Mother, standing behind, pushes 

267 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

toward him the heaps of Divine wisdom and the 
supply is never exhausted. When the gracious 
look of the Divine Mother falls upon one, can 
there be any lack of wisdom ? Therefore I ask 
whether you have received any commission 
(Adesha) from the Lord ? 

Hazra (to the Pandit) : Oh ! I dare say he 
must have received something of that kind. Is 
it not so? 

Sasadhar's host : He has not obtained Adesha, 
but he is lecturing only from a sense of duty. 

Bhagavan: If a man has received no Divine 
commission, what good will his lectures do? In 
the course of his lecture a Brahmo 
tu^eTwithout said: " Brethren, I used to drink, I 
Divine com- used to do this and that." Hearing 
this the people began to talk : "What 
does this fellow say? He used to drink! " Thus 
this statement produced just the opposite effect 
in the minds of the audience. Unless the 
speaker be a good spiritual man, his lectures do 
not help mankind in any way. A subjudge 
once said to me : " Sir, you begin to preach, then 
I will also be ready." I answered: "My friend, 
listen. There was a large pond in a certain vil- 
lage. Some people used to throw dirt around the 
water's edge and otherwise defile the pond. Good 

268 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

men of the village spoke to the offenders and en- 
treated them, but could not produce the slightest 
impression upon their minds. The offenders 
continued to violate the sanitary laws. Every 
morning abuses were showered upon their heads, 
but all in vain. At last when the municipal 
authorities put up a notice forbidding everyone 
to commit such acts and sent a peon with their 
badge to punish the offenders, from that moment 
nobody dared throw dirt near the pond." 
Badge of Therefore I say a badge of authority 
authority. j s necessary ; otherwise no one will 
listen to your words. A true speaker is one who 
is authorized by the Supreme and who holds 
the badge of Divine commission. Every man 
and woman must obey and bow down to him. 

A true teacher of mankind must possess great 
spiritual power (Sakti). In Calcutta there are 
many veteran wrestlers. One must try one's 
strength on such men and not on novices in 
wrestling. Chaitanya Deva was an Avatara. 
Tell me how much of that which he did is now 
preserved? What good will be done by the lec- 
tures of one who does not hold the badge of 
Divine authority ? Therefore I say : ' ' You must 
first be absorbed in the Holy feet of the Al- 
mighty.' ' 

269 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



ill 

There are infinite ways which lead to the sea 
of immortality. The main thing is to fall into 
that sea; it matters not how one gets there. 
Suppose there is a reservoir of nectar, a single 
drop of which falling into the mouth will make 
one immortal. You may drink of it either by 
jumping into the reservoir or by slowly walking 
down along its slope. The result will be the 
same even if you are pushed or thrown into it 
by another. Taste a little of that nectar and 
become immortal. 

Innumerable are the paths. Jnana, Karma, 
Bhakti are all paths which lead to the same 
Different goal. If you have intense longing 
paths to God. you w iu sur ely reach God. Yoga 
(communion with God) is of four kinds : Jnana 
Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Bhakti 
Yoga. 

Jnana Yoga is communion with God by means 

of right discrimination and knowledge in its 

highest sense. The object of a Jnani 

Jnana Yoga. . & 1 i ,. , A , ., 

is to know and realize the Absolute. 
He discriminates between the Absolute Reality 
and the unreal phenomena by saying: "Not 

this," "Not this," until he comes to a point 

270 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

where all discrimination between the Real and 

the unreal ceases and the Absolute Brahman is 

realized in Samadhi. 

Karma Yoga is communion with God by 

means of work. It is what you are teaching. 

The performance of duties by house- 
Karma Yoga. r . . 

holders not tor the sake of obtaining 

their results but for glorifying the Supreme is 
that which is meant by this method of Yoga. 
Again, worship, repetition of the Name of the 
Lord, and other devotional exercises are also 
included in it, if they are done without attach- 
ment to their fruits and for the glorification of 
God. The end of Karma Yoga is the same as 
the realization of the Impersonal Absolute or 
the Personal God or both. 

Raja Yoga leads to this communion through 
concentration and meditation. It has eight 

steps. The first is Yama, which con- 
Raja Yoga. . ... 

sists m non-injuring, truthfulness, 

non-covetousness, chastity, and the non-receiv- 
ing of gifts. The second is Niyama, which 
includes austerities, forbearance, contentment, 
faith in the Supreme Being, charity, study, and 
self -surrender to the Supreme Will. The prac- 
tice of various physical postures is comprised in 
Asana, the third; while Pranayama or breath- 

271 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ing exercises constitute the fourth step. The 
fifth is Pratyahara and consists in making the 
mind introspective and one-pointed. Concen- 
tration or Dharana is the next ; Dhyana or medi- 
tation is the seventh, and Samadhi or the state 
of superconsciousness the eighth. 

Bhakti Yoga is communion by means of love, 
devotion, and self -surrender (Bhakti). 

Bhakti Yoga. . ' . ' . \ ' 

It is especially adapted to this age. 

The path of absolute knowledge is exceedingly 
difficult. The term of human life at the present 
day is short and entirely dependent on material 
food. Moreover, it is almost impossible to get 
rid of the idea that the soul is one with the body. 
Now a Jnani or philosopher may declare: "I 
am not this body, gross or subtle; I am one 
with Brahman, the Absolute. I am not subject 
to the necessities and conditions of the body, — 
hunger, thirst, birth, death, disease, grief, 
pleasure, pain." Such assertions, however, 
will not make him free from these bodily con- 
ditions so long as he is on the plane of rela- 
tivity. He may be compared to a person who 
is suffering from the intense pain of a wound 
but who is trying to deny it by mere words of 
mouth. 

When the Kundalini is awakened, true 
272 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRiSHNA 

Bhakti, Divine Love and ecstasy are attained* 
Through Karma Yoga one can easily attain to 
various psychic powers. But when Karma 
Yoga leads to Bhakti Yoga, Divine realization 
comes. Then all duties, rituals, ceremonials, 
drop off like the petals of a flower when the 
fruit has grown. When a child is born, the 
young mother does not discharge any other 
duties, but fondles the child the whole day. As 
she is free from all household duties, so a Bhakta 
becomes free from the bondage of work after 
realizing God. The true Bhakta says: "O 
Mother, Karma with attachment I fear, for it 
proceeds from selfish motives, and as a man 
soweth so shall he reap. I see again that work 
without attachment is exceedingly difficult. If 
I work through attachment I shall forget Thee ; 
therefore I do not desire such Karma. Grant 
that my work may become less and less so long 
as I do not attain to Thee. Till then may I 
have strength to do unattached the little work 
that is left for me, and may I be blessed with 
unselfish love and devotion to Thee! Mother, 
so long as I do not realize Thee may my mind 
be not attached to new works and new desires ! 
But when Thou wilt command me to work I 
shall do it not for myself but only for Thee." 

2 73 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

A devotee: Revered Sir, what is Hatha Yoga? 

Ramakrishna: Hatha Yoga deals entirely 

with the physical body. It describes the 

methods by which the internal or- 

HathaYoga. J 

gans can be punned and perfect 
health can be acquired. It teaches how to con- 
quer the various powers of Prana and the mus- 
cles, organs and nerves of the body. But in 
Hatha Yoga the mind must always be concen- 
trated on the physical body. A Hatha Yogi 
possesses many powers, such as the power of 
levitation; but all these powers are only the 
manifestations of physical Prana. There was a 
juggler who in the midst of his tricks suddenly 
turned his tongue upward and drew it back 
into the post -nasal canal, stopping respiration. 
Instantly all the activities of his body were sus- 
pended. People thought that he was dead, so 
they buried him. For several years he re- 
mained buried in that state. In some way the 
grave was opened and he regained conscious- 
ness. Immediately he began to repeat the 
same conjuring words with which he had been 
casting the spell before he lost consciousness. 
So the practice of Hatha Yoga will bring one 
control over the body, but it will carry one only 

so far. Raja Yoga, on the contrary, deals with 

274 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the mind and leads to spiritual results through 
discrimination, concentration and meditation. 

Perfect concentration of the mind is necessary 

in the path of Raja Yoga. Mind is like the 

flame of a lamp. When the wind of 

Concentration. ,..'.,« . i - 

desire blows, it is restless; when 
there is no wind, it is steady. The latter is the 
state of mind in Yoga. Ordinarily the mind is 
scattered, one portion here, another portion 
there. It is necessary to collect the scattered 
mind and direct it towards one point. If you 
want a whole piece of cloth, you will have to 
pay the full price for it. Yoga is not possible 
if there be the least obstacle in the way. If 
there be a small break in the telegraphic wire, 
the message will not reach its destination. A 
Yogi controls his mind, the mind does not con- 
trol him. When the mind is absolutely con- 
centrated, the breath stops, and the soul enters 
into Samadhi. 

This state of breathlessness is called Kum- 
bhaka. It can be attained through Bhakti 
Yoga also. When the emotion 
(Bhakti) reaches its climax, the 
breath stops and the mind becomes fixed. If 
a man is sweeping and some one comes and tells 
him: "Mr. So and So is dead; have you heard ?'' 

275 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

The sweeper, if the dead man be not his rela- 
tion, will exclaim unconcernedly: "Is that so? 
Is he dead? He was a good man. I am 
sorry"; but he goes on sweeping. If, however 
he hears of the death of a dear relative, he is so 
stunned that the broom drops from his hand 
and he sinks to the ground crying out, "God 
help me!" At this time his breath stops, his 
mind is fixed upon his grief and he cannot 
think of anything else. Again, have you not 
seen among women how, when one of them is 
struck with wonder either by seeing or hearing 
something unexpectedly, her breath will stop, 
her mind become fixed and the body remain so 
motionless that the other women will exclaim: 
"What is the matter? Have you lost your 
senses?" 

At the time of true meditation the body and 

senses become absolutely still like a piece of 

wood. When I first saw Keshab Sen 

Meditation. . *■••/•• i\t-»ai r> 

in the Adi (original) Brahmo-Samaj, 
I saw him sitting in meditation with other mem- 
bers; his mind was entirely withdrawn from 
the external world and his body was perfectly 
motionless like a wooden stump ; then I said to 
Mathura Babu: "This man has hooked the fish." 
Meditation is possible even with eyes wide open, 

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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

even when one is conversing with another. 
Suppose you have a toothache. You may per- 
form all works, but your mind will remain con- 
centrated on the spot where the pain is. Simi- 
larly, if you have true concentration on God, 
your mind will remain fixed even when your 
body is moving or your mouth is speaking. I 
used to close my eyes at the time of meditation. 
Then I thought:" If God exists after closing the 
eyes, why should He not exist while the eyes 
are open?" I opened my eyes and saw the 
Divine Being everywhere. Man, animals, in- 
sects, trees, creepers, moon, sun, water, earth, in 
and through all these the Infinite Being is mani- 
festing Himself. He who .thinks upon God for 
a long time possesses Divine Substance within 
him. Through him flow Divine powers. A 
great singer, or one who is perfect in instru- 
mental music or in any other art or science, 
also possesses a portion of Divine power. This 
is the doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita, : — " Wher- 
ever there are signs of greatness, there is the 
manifestation of Divine power." 

A devotee: Revered Sir, what happens after 
death ? 

Ramakrishna: Keshab Sen asked me the 
same question. So long as a man remains in 

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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ignorance, in other words, so long as he has not 
What happens realized God, he will be subject to 
after death, rebirth ; but after Divine realization 
one does not come back to this earth, nor is he 
born in any other world. Potters after making 
earthen pots dry them in the sun. Have you 
not seen that there are pots which are baked in 
fire and others that are unbaked? When a pot 
of unbaked clay is broken, the potter uses the 
same clay to make a new pot; but if a baked 
pot is broken, the pieces are of no further use 
and he throws them away. Similarly, when the 
ego is not baked in the fire of wisdom, after 
death it will appear in another form and be 
born again and again. If a fried grain is planted 
it will not germinate; in the same manner, he 
whose inner nature is fried in the fire of wisdom 
is no longer subject to evolution, but attains to 
absolute freedom from rebirth. 

In the Puranas the doctrine of dualistic Ve- 
danta prevails, which teaches that the Jiva 
Dualistic and ( the individual soul) is one thing and 
monistic God is another: "I am distinct and 

separate from you." This body is 
like a bowl; mind, intellect and egoism are like 
water within it, while the Personal God is the 
sun which is reflected in the water; and this 

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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

reflection or image of the Divine Being can be 
perceived by the Jiva in ecstasy. In monistic 
Vedanta, however, Brahman, the Absolute, is 
the Reality and all else is unreal like a dream. 
Egoism is like a stick which lies upon the waters 
of the infinite ocean of Existence-Intelligence- 
Bliss Absolute, and makes it appear as divided; 
but when the stick is removed, the apparent 
division ceases and the waters of the ocean 
remain undivided. The knowledge of this in- 
divisible oneness brings the highest state of 
Samadhi, where this egoism is entirely obliter- 
ated. But the great spiritual teachers like San- 
karacharya * kept a little egoism of knowledge 
to teach mankind. 



* Sankaracharya was the greatest exponent of the Vedanta 
philosophy in India. He lived about the beginning of the 
eighth century of the Christian era. His Commentaries on 
the CJpanishads, the Vedanta sutras, and on the Bhagavad Gita 
have shown the profound depth of his philosophical reason- 
ing. He became a Sannydsin when he was eight years old. 
He wrote his famous Commentaries in Sanskrit at the age 
of twelve and finished his literary work when he was sixteen 
years old. Then for sixteen years he preached monistic 
Vedanta, and established monastic orders and monasteries in 
the four corners of India. He finished his glorious and 
eventful career when he reached the age of thirty-two. He 

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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

A true Jnani, or knower of the Absolute, may 
be recognized by certain signs. A real Jnani 
The signs of does harm to no one. His nature be- 
a true Jnani. comes like that of an innocent child. 
As a burnt rope retains its shape and appears 
from a distance like a real rope, but in truth a 
breath can blow it away, so the egoism of a 
Jnani is merely apparent. A child has no at- 
tachment for anything. It may build a toy 
house; if anyone touches it, it cries; but the 
next moment it will itself break it to pieces. 
So a true Jnani lives in the world, but unat- 
tached. He may possess things of great value, 
but he has no attachment for them. In monis- 
tic Vedanta the waking state is no more real 
Parable of a than the dream state. A wood- 
woodcutter cutter was dreaming a happy dream, 

and his dream. but bdng SU(Menly awaken ed by 

some one, Jie exclaimed with annoyance: "Why 
did you awaken me? I was a king and the 
father of seven children. My children were all 
receiving education in the various sciences. I 
was seated on the throne and ruling over my 
country. Why did you destroy so happy and 

is regarded in India as the Incarnation of Shiva and the em- 
bodiment of Divine Wisdom. 

280 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

delightful a state ? ' ' The man replied : ' ' Oh ! It 
was only a dream. What does it matter?" 
The wood-cutter said: "Get away, you fool! 
You do not understand that my being a king 
was as real as my wood-cutting. If it be true 
that I am a wood-cutter, then it is equally true 
that I was a king." 

Jnana is to know the Atman through the path 
of discrimination: "Not this, not this." When 
Jnana and this discrimination leads to Samadhi, 
Vijnana. then the Atman can be apprehended. 
But Vijnana is complete knowledge or realiza- 
tion. Some have heard of milk, some have 
seen it, but others have tasted it. So with God. 
Those who have heard of Him are still in igno- 
rance; those who have seen Him are Jnanis; 
but those who have tasted or realized Him are 
Vijnanis. After seeing God, when one makes 
acquaintance with Him and realizes Him as the 
nearest and dearest of all, that is Vijnana. At 
first it is necessary to discriminate "Not this, 
not this," that is, God is not the elements of 
nature, He is not the senses or sense-powers, He 
is not this mind, not this intellect, not this ego- 
ism; He is beyond all the categories of nature. 
To go to the roof, one must climb step by step, 
leaving one step after another. The staircase 

281 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is not the same as the roof. After coming out 
on the roof, however, one can easily see that 
both roof and staircase are of the same material. 
The same Infinite Brahman appears as the Per- 
sonal God, Jiva, and the twenty-four categories 
of nature. You may ask why this earth is so 
hard and solid, if it has come out of Brahman? 
His omnipotence can make everything possible. 

iv 

Ramakrishna (to old Gopal, Swami Advai- 
tananda) : What ! Do you still wish to visit 
holy places ? 

Gopal: Yes, Bhagavan, I would like to 
travel a little more. 

Ram Babu (to Gopal) : The Bhagavan says, 
after travelling to many places one should settle 
Parable of down in one spot. This he explains 
the bird on by the parable of the bird on a ship's 

the mast. mast# A bird wag sitting Qn the 

mast of a vessel as it sailed out to sea. After a 
long time the bird realized that there were no 
trees around or land in sight. He flew towards 
the north to find land, but being disappointed, 
he returned to the mast, rested a while and flew 
towards the south. Still finding no shore, he 
came back again, tired and exhausted. In the 

282 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

same manner he went in all directions, but find- 
ing nothing but water and water everywhere, 
he at last rested on the mast and became con- 
tent. 

Ramakrishna: So long as God seems to be 
outside, in different places, so long there is 
Parable of a ignorance. But when God is realized 
man seeking within, that is true knowledge. A 
1 ,luht man woke up at midnight and de- 

sired to smoke. He wanted a light, so he went 
to a neighbor's house and knocked at the door. 
Someone opened the door and asked him what 
he wanted. The man said: "I wish to smoke. 
Can you give me a light?" The neighbor re- 
plied: ''What is the matter with you? You 
have taken so much trouble and awakened us 
at this hour, when in your hand you have a 
lighted lantern." What a man wants is already 
with him ; but he still wanders here and there in 
search of it. 

Ram Babu: Bhagavan, now I have under- 
stood why a Guru asks his disciple to visit holy 
places, — to give him experience and to increase 
his faith in his teachings. 

Pandit: Revered Sir, how far did your Holi- 
ness go on pilgrimages? 

Ramakrishna (smiling): Well, I went to 
283 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

some places. Hazra went farther and higher 
. up, to Hrishikesha * in the Hima- 

layas. I did not go so far or so high 
up. The vulture and the kite soar very high, 
but their eyes are all the while directed to the 
charnel-pits below. Do you know what the 
charnel-pits are? Lust and gold. If in going 
on a pilgrimage a man does not acquire Bhakti, 
then his pilgrimage is fruitless; for Bhakti is 
the end of all; it is the one thing needful. 

Do you know what the vulture and the kite 
are? They are those who talk on lofty subjects 
and say: "We have performed most of the works 
enjoined in the Holy Scriptures," but whose 
minds are immersed in worldliness and strongly 
attached to wealth, name, fame, and sense- 
pleasures. 

Pandit: Yes, Revered Sir, that is true. Go- 
ing on a pilgrimage is like casting aside the 
precious stone worn on the breast of Vishnu and 
wandering about in search of other jewels. 

Ramakrishna: Again, you should know that 
although you may give thousands of instruc- 
tions, still they will not produce results until 

* Hrishikesha is a sacred place of pilgrimage on the banks 
of the holy, river Ganges at the foot of the Himalayas. 

284 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the time is ripe. A child before going to sleep 
says to its mother: "Mamma dear, awaken me 
when I shall feel hungry." The mother replies: 
"Do not worry about that, my child; thy 
hunger will awaken thee." In the same manner 
one yearns after God when the proper time comes 
for it. 

Physicians can be divided into three classes. 
First, those who, when called in, look at the 
Three classes patient, feel his pulse, prescribe the 
of religious necessary medicines and then ask the 
patient to take them. If the patient de- 
clines to do so, they do not care. This is the low- 
est class. Similarly there are spiritual teachers 
who do not care to know whether their instruc- 
tions have been practised or whether they have 
produced good results in their disciples. There 
are other physicians who not only ask the patient 
to take the prescribed drug but who reason with 
him if he refuses to take it. These belong to the 
medium class. Similarly those spiritual teachers 
who not only instruct their pupils but reason 
with them and gently persuade them to follow 
their teachings, are better than those of the 
first class. But the best physicians, who be- 
long to the highest class, use force on the patient 
if he does not listen to their gentle persuasions. 

285 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

They may go so far as to make him swallow the 
medicine by force if necessary. Similarly the 
best spiritual masters use force on their dis- 
ciples to bring them into the path of the Lord. 
These teachers belong to the highest class. 

Pandit : Revered Sir, if there are such spirit- 
ual teachers, like the physicians of the highest 
class, then why dost Thou say that the spiritual 
awakening cannot come before the time is ripe ? 

Bhagavan: Yes, it is true; but suppose the 
medicine does not get into the stomach ? What 
will the physician do then? Even the best of 
them are quite helpless. To give proper instruc- 
tion one must first choose fit vessels. 

Fit vessels. . 

You do not examine the capabili- 
ties of your pupils. But I ask those who come 
to me: "Whom have you to care for you?" 
Suppose a young man has no father or that his 
father has left him with debts ; how is it possible 
for him to give his heart and soul to God? Do 
you hear, my child? 

Pandit: Yes, Bhagavan, I am all attention. 

The conversation then passed to another sub- 
ject, — the Grace of God. The Bhagavan said: 
Once a number of Shikh soldiers 

Grace of God. 

came to the Temple. I met them 
before the Temple of the Divine Mother. One 

286 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

of them said: "God is all-merciful." I asked: 
"Indeed, is it so? How did you come to know 
it?" "Why, Sir, is not the Lord feeding and 
taking care of us? " I said : " Is that so extraor- 
dinary? God is the Father of us all. If the 
father does not look after his own children, who 
will? Shall outsiders from another neighbor- 
hood come and take care of them?" 

Narendra: Then we should not call Him 
merciful ? 

Bhagavan : Am I forbidding you to call Him 
all-merciful? What I mean is that the Lord is 
our nearest and dearest and not like a stranger. 

Pandit : Priceless are these words ! 

The Bhagavan here asked for a fresh glass of 
water. He would not take the one already 
offered and it was therefore carried away. It 
appeared that he looked upon it as unfit to be 
offered to the God in Him, being made impure 
by the "feverish" touch of some wicked 
men. 

Pandit (to Hazra) : You who live with the 
Bhagavan day and night must enjoy the high- 
est bliss. 

Bhagavan (smiling) : This day I have had the 
rare pleasure of looking at the moon of the second 
lunar day. Do you know why I say the moon 

287 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

of the second lunar day? Sita * said to Ravana: 
"Thou art the full moon, and my Rama Chandra 
is the moon of the second lunar day." Ravana 
was highly pleased, for he did not understand 
the meaning. Sita meant to say that the for- 
tune of Ravana had reached its climax like the 
full moon and that now it must be on the wane ; 
but the fortune of Rama Chandra is like the 
moon of the second lunar day, which will increase 
day by day. 

Here the Bhagavan rising to take leave, the 
Pandit and his friends bowed down before Him 
with great reverence and devotion. He then 
departed, followed by His disciples. 

* Sita, the faithful and devoted wife 6f Lord Rama Chandra, 
who is regarded as an Incarnation of God. She was stolen 
by Ravana, King of Ceylon, who brought her to his capital, 
Lanka. Hence the war described in the epic Ramayana, 
which ended with the destruction of Ravana and many of his 
people. 

288 



CHAPTER X 
GATHERING OF DISCIPLES AT THE TEMPLE 



Sri Ramakrishna was seated on His seat as 
usual with His face to the north. The western 
and northern doors of the apartment in which 
He latterly passed His days looked out on the 
sacred waters of the Ganges. Balaram, Rak- 
hal, and other devotees and visitors were seated 
on a mat spread out on the floor of the room. 
They were singing hymns to the accompani- 
ment of musical intruments. One of the songs 
had particular reference to the six Lotuses mark- 
ing the different stages of the Yogi's progress 
toward union with the Universal Spirit. At the 
close of this song the Bhagavan said: 

The six Lotuses mentioned in the Science of 
Yoga correspond to the seven mental planes 
mentioned in the Vedanta. When the mind is 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

immersed in worldliness, it makes its abode in the 
Seven mental lowest lotus at the end of the spine. 
planes. Sexual desires rise when the mind 

is in the second lotus, the sexual organ. When 
it is in the third, the navel, the man is taken up 
with things of the world — eating, drinking, be- 
getting children. In the fourth mental plane 
the heart of the man is blessed with the Vision 
of Divine Glory and he cries out: "What is all 
this! What is all this!" In the fifth plane 
the mind rests in the throat. The devotee talks 
only on subjects related to God and grows im- 
patient if any other subject comes up in the 
course of conversation. In the sixth plane the 
mind is localized between the eyebrows. The 
devotee comes face to face with God; only a 
thin glass-like partition, so to speak, keeps him 
separate from the Divine Person. To him God 
is like a light within a lantern, or like a photo- 
graph behind a glass frame. He tries to touch 
the Vision, but he cannot. His perception falls 
short of complete realization, for there is the 
element of self -consciousness, the sense of "I," 
kept to a certain extent. In the last or seventh 
plane it is perfect Samadhi. Then all sense- 
consciousness ceases and absolute God-con- 
sciousness takes its place. In this state the life 

290 






I 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

of the saint lingers for twenty-one days, after 
which he passes away. During these days he 
ceases to take any food. Milk, if poured into 
his mouth, runs out and never gets into the 
stomach. 

The Bhagavan continued: Some sages, who 

have reached the seventh or highest plane and 

have thus attained to God-conscious- 

Sages who ; 

have reached ness, are pleased to come down from 
the seventh t h at spiritual height for the good of 

plane. 

mankind. They keep the ego of 
Vidya, or, in other words, the Higher Self. But 
Ishis ego is a mere appearance. It is like a line 
drawn across a sheet of water. Hanuman was 
blessed with the vision of God both with form 
and without form ; but he retained the ego of a 
servant of God. Such was also the case with 
the wise men Narada,* Sanaka,f Sananda, and 
Sanat Kumara of ancient times. 

Here the question was asked whether Narada 
and others were Bhaktas only and not Jnanis. 
The Bhagavan replied: Narada and others 
had attained the highest knowledge (Brahma- 
Jnana) , but still they went on like the murmur- 

* Narada, see note page 168. 

t Sanaka, Sananda, and Sanat Kumara -were the three 
Rishis or Seers of Truth in ancient India. 

291 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ing waters of the rivulet, talking and singing. 
This shows that they too kept this ego of 
knowledge. They were Jnanis (knowers), but 
they talked and sang the praises of the Personal 
God for the good of others. A steamboat not 
only reaches its destination itself but also 
carries numbers of people on board to the same 
place. Preceptors such as Narada are like 
steamboats. 

The Avataras or Incarnations of God are 
born with Divine powers and Divine qualities. 
They can go anywhere and can stay 
in any state of existence from the 
highest to the lowest. They can stand on the 
top of the house and come down by the stairs 
to the ground floor and can go back to the roof 
again. They possess the power both to come 
down and to return. In a seven-story palace 
a stranger can go only to the outer quarters, 
but the king's own child, the prince of the house, 
is free to go to every corner. 

As in fireworks there is a kind of flower-pot 

which sends off one kind of flower for a while, 

, then another kind and still another, 

Avataras and 

ordinary possessing, as it were, an innumer- 

Jivas. ^able variety of flowers, so are the 

Avataras. Then there is another kind of flower- 

292 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

pot which when lighted burns a little and then 
goes off all at once. Similarly ordinary Jivas, 
after long practice and devotional exercises, go 
up at once in Samadhi and do not return. There 
Souls eter- is another class who may be called 
naiiy free. eternally free. From their birth they 
seek after God and do not care for anything of 
the world. We are told of a fabled species of 
birds called "Homa," which live so high up in 
the heavens, and so dearly love those regions, 
that they never condescend to come down to 
the earth. Even their eggs, which when laid 
in the sky begin to fall to the earth by the force 
of gravity, are said to be hatched during their 
downward course, and the fledglings, finding 
that they are falling down, at once change their 
course and begin to fly upward towards their 
home, drawn thither by instinct. Men such as 
Sukadeva, Narada, Jesus, Sankaracharya and 
others are like those birds, who even in their 
boyhood give up all attachment to the things 
of this world and betake themselves to the high- 
est regions of true Knowledge and Divine Light. 
Those who come with the Avataras are either 
souls who are eternally free -or who are born for 
the last time. 

The holy men (Paramahamsas) may be di- 
2 93 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

vided into two classes.. First, those who de- 
clare the Supreme Being to be the 

Two classes r ° 

of Parama- Formless One. Trailanga Swami of 
hamsas. Benares belonged to'this class. Gener- 

ally speaking, holy men of this class are com- 
paratively selfish, because they care only for 
the liberation of their own souls. Those of the 
second class say that God is with form as well 
as formless, and that He manifests Himself to 
His devotees as a Being with form. Have you 
ever seen a canal running over into the water 
of the river with which it is connected? The 
canal has sometimes no trace left, being en- 
tirely one with the river-water. But very often 
there may be noticed a slight movement in the 
water which proves its separateness from the 
river. Pretty much the same is the case with 
the Paramahamsa belonging to the second class. 
His soul becomes one with the Universal Spirit. 
Ego of knowl- Still the ego of knowledge (Vidya) 
edge. or a slight trace of individuality is 

kept to mark his separate existence from the 
Deity. 

Again, such a holy man may be compared to 
a jar or pitcher of water. A pitcher filled with 
water to the brim gives sound, only when a por- 
tion of the water is poured out into another 

294 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

vessel. Similarly the Paramahamsa keeps silent 
except when his water of wisdom is poured out 
into the soul of the disciple. Thus he retains 
the ego of knowledge for the purpose of teaching 
others. 

Again, suppose a person digs a well. He is 
thirsty and drinks of the water of that well. 
Yet when his thirst is quenched it is not un- 
usual for such a person to keep the digging 
implements, — the hack, the shovel, the spade, — 
for the sake of others who may want them for 
the same purpose. In the same way a Para- 
mahamsa of the second class, who may have 
drunk of the waters of Everlasting Life and 
have thus quenched his spiritual thirst, is often 
anxious to do good to mankind. With this in 
view he retains the ego of Knowledge, the ego 
of Love, and the ego of the Preceptor. 

Some persons eat mangoes and then remove 
all traces of eating by wiping the mouth with a 
Helping napkin. They care only for their 

others. own pleasure. But there are others 

who let people know that they have eaten man- 
goes and are willing to share their pleasure with 
them. Similarly there are Jnanis who enjoy 
Divine Communion, and do not think of speak- 
ing about it to others ; but it was different with 

2 95 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the Gopis of Vrindavan. They not only enjoyed 
communion with Krishna, the God Incarnate, 
but were willing to share their happiness with 
others. 

Communion with God may be compared to 
the process of involution. When one com- 
DWine com- munes with the Supreme Being one's 
munion. personality becomes absolutely united 
with the Divine Personality. This is the state 
of Samadhi. Then, again, when one returns to 
the human plane and comes back to the starting- 
point one sees that the world and the ego or 
self are evolved from the same Supreme Being; 
and that God, man and nature are interrelated, 
so that if you hold on to one of them you realize 
the others. 

Call with Bhakti (love) upon His Hallowed 
Name and the mountain of your sins shall dis- 
appear as a mountain of cotton-wool 

Fire of Bhakti ^ vanish in an i nstant if ft catches 
destroys sins. 

one spark of fire. Worship through 
fear of hell-fire is intended for beginners. 

Then turning to some of the company present 
who were singing, the Bhagavan said: "Will 
you sing songs which describe the enjoyment 
that is realized by the human soul after God- 
vision? Rakhal (Swami Brahmananda, one of 

296 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

His young disciples), do you remember the song 
sung the other day at Nobin Neogi's house, 
'Be intoxicated with the joy of the Lord'? " 

One of the company then said: Revered Sir, 
may we be favored with a song from Thee? 

Bhagavan: What shall I sing? I sing pretty 
much like yourselves. Very well; when the 
time comes, I will sing. So saying, He re- 
mained silent for a while. 

The first song that He then sang was about 
Sri Chaitanya Deva and Sri Krishna, that is, 
from the point of view of the Vaishnavas (dual- 
istic Bhaktas). The last was regarding the 
Divine Mother. 

Song 
The Devotee and Her Ecstatic Love 

i. The waves of the Divine Love come dashing 
against my body. The swell of the Sea 
of Love causes the fall of the unrighteous; 
nay, it drowns the whole universe. 

2. I think of diving deep near the bottom of 
the Sea, but the alligator of ecstasy has 
swallowed me up. Who is there to feel 
for me and, holding me by the hand, drag 

me out of the water ? 
297 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Song 

The Mother of the Universe, and the Ma- 
chine of the Human Body 

i . What a fine machine of the human body hath 
the Divine Mother made! 
How wonderful are the sports She is playing 
through the machine only six feet long! 

2. Dwelling within the machine, She holds in 

Her hand the string that sets it in motion ; 
but the machine thinks: "I move by my 
own will/' not knowing Who causes it to 
move. 

3. The "machine" that has realized Her will 

not have to be born again. She Herself 
is tied in some machines by the string of 
Bhakti (love). 

ii 

At the end of the song the Bhagavan was in 
Samadhi. His eyes were fixed and half -closed. 
His pulse and the heart -beat were suspended. 
Sense-consciousness had left Him, giving place 
to pure God-consciousness. Returning a little 
to the semiconscious state He talked to the 
Holy Mother, saying: Do not trouble, O Mother! 

298 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRXSHNA 

Come down to this plane. Be still, O Mother! 
What Thou wishest, O Mother, for everybody 
shall come to pass! What shall I say to these 
people ? 

Nothing can be achieved in the path of 
spirituality without discrimination (between the 

Discrimination Real and the unr eal) and renuncia- 
and renuncia- tion (non-attachment to riches, 
honor, sensual pleasures). Renuncia- 
tion is of many kinds. One kind springs from 
the acute pain due to worldly misery. But the 
better kind of renunciation arises from the 
realization that all worldly blessings are unreal 
even when they are within reach. Thus, hav- 
ing all, the man renounces everything for the 
sake of God. 

Everything rests upon time. For all religious 
awakening we must wait. But in the mean- 
while the precepts of a Guru, the 
saryfor spiritual teacher, should be carefully 

religious followed, for the impression of these 

awakenins 

precepts in the mind of a worldly man 
may be of great help in time of need. Another 
reason is that constant hearing of those pre- 
cepts may gradually remove the evil effects of 
worldly attachment. As the effects of drunken- 
ness can be removed by making the drunkard 

egg 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

drink rice-water, so the intoxication of the 
worldly-minded people can be cured by the 
constant hearing of the precepts of a holy Guru. 
The number of those who attain Divine Wisdom 
is very limited. So the Git a says: "Among 
thousands a few only strive for the realization 
of God, and among thousands of such seekers 
after Truth a few succeed in reaching the 
goal." The more a person is attached to the 
Woridi at= wor ld, the less is he likely to attain 
tachment and Divine Wisdom. The less his attach- 
reahzation. men t j Sj ^he more is the probability 
of his getting it. Thus, wisdom may be said 
to vary directly as non-attachment to the world, 
its pleasures, its riches, and inversely as attach- 
ment to the world. 

There are different stages of spirituality. 
First, there is the state of being struck speech- 
stages of less at the thought or realization of 
spirituality. t h e Absolute Brahman, — Existence, 
Knowledge and Bliss. This is the utmost point 
as regards love of God that can be reached by 
ordinary mortals. Second, there is the state of 
ecstatic love. This is attainable only by a few. 
They are human beings with extraordinary, 
original powers and entrusted with a Divine 
commission. Being heirs of Divine powers and 

300 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

glories, they form a class of their own. To this 
class belong the Incarnations of God like Christ, 
Krishna, Buddha, and Chaitanya and their dev- 
otees of the highest order. 

The two characteristics of ecstatic love are, 

first, the forget fulness of the external world, 

and second, the forgetfulness of one's 

Ecstatic love. . . 

own body which is so dear to one. 
The first is like the unripe mango, the second is 
like the ripe mango. Ecstatic love of God is 
like a string in the hands of the Bhakta which 
binds God. The devotee holds the Lord under 
his control, so to speak. The Lord must come 
to him whenever he calls out to Him. In Per- 
sian books it is written that within the flesh are 
the bones, within the bones is the marrow, 
within the marrow, the last and innermost of 
all, is this ecstatic love. Sri Krishna is called 
"Tribhanga," that is, the usual posture of His 
body is bent in three different angles. Now a 
soft substance alone can take such an angular 
shape, so this form of Sri Krishna implies that 
His whole being must have been made very 
tender by this ecstatic love. 

Chaitanya Deva was the incarnation of Divine 
Love or Bhakti. He came to teach mankind 
true Bhakti. He used to have three states of 

301 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



consciousness in ecstasy. First, consciousness of 
the gross and subtle body. At this 

Three states 



ness in 
ecstasy. 



of conscious- time he would repeat the Name of 
the Lord and sing His praises in San- 
kirtan. Second, consciousness of 
the causal body alone. In this state he would 
become intoxicated with ecstatic joy, and re- 
taining partial consciousness of the external, 
he would dance in company with other Bhaktas. 
Third, consciousness of the Absolute. In this 
state he would enter into the highest realm of 
Samadhi, and rising above all sense-conscious- 
ness, his body would remain apparently lifeless. 
These states correspond to the five sheaths of 
the soul in Vedanta. According to Vedanta 
the gross body includes the material form which 
is the outermost sheath and the sheath of Prana 
or the sense-organs and sense-powers. The 
subtle body includes two sheaths, mental and 
intellectual. The causal body is the sheath of 
joyfulness. Beyond these five is the true Self, 
the Absolute. When the mind reaches this 
state, the highest Samadhi or God-consciousness 
is the result. 

How to pray is the next question. Let us 
not pray for things of this world, but pray like 
Narada, Narada said to Rama Chandra; "0 

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GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Rama, grant that I may be favored with Bhakti, 
love, devotion and self -surrender 

How to pray, 

to the Lotus of Thy feet." "Be 
it so," said Rama. "But wilt thou not ask for 
anything else?" Narada replied: "Lord, may 
it please Thee to grant that I may not be at- 
tracted by Thy Maya, which fascinates the 
creatures of this world." Rama Chandra said 
once more: "Be it so, Narada; but wilt thou 
not ask for something else?" Narada replied: 
"No, Lord, that is all I pray for." 

Jnana (knowledge) varies in degree and kind. 
There is first the knowledge belonging to men of 
Degrees of the world — ordinary mortals. This 
knowledge. knowledge is not sufficiently power- 
ful. It may be compared to the light of a lamp 
which illumines only the inside of a room. The 
knowledge of a Bhakta (devotee) is a stronger 
light and may be compared to the light of the 
moon which causes to be visible things outside 
the room as well as those inside of it. But the 
Jnana of an Incarnation of God is still more 
powerful and it thus may be likened to a yet 
stronger light, — the resplendent glory of the sun. 
Such light is the illuminator of the moon as well 
as of the whole world. Nothing is problematic 
to the Divine Incarnation (Avatara). He 

3°3 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

solves the most difficult problems of life and 
soul as the simplest things in the world. His ex- 
position of the most intricate questions in which 
humanity is interested is such as a child can 
follow. He is the sun of Divine Knowledge 
whose light dispels the accumulated ignorance 
of ages. 

So long as the man is immersed in worldli- 
ness he cannot attain to Knowledge Divine 
and cannot see God. Does muddy 
knowledge water ever reflect the sun or any sur- 
and the rounding object ? Spiritual knowledge 

is occasionally visible in worldly peo- 
ple, but very seldom. It does not last long. It 
is like the light of a lamp. No, no, it is like a ray 
of the sun — as if a ray were coming through a 
very small hole in the wall. Worldly people 
repeat the Holy Name of the Lord, but there is 
no longing in the heart. They have no per- 
sistence. Whether they attain or not, they do 
not care. They are bound by Karma and must 
reap the results of their works. Is there no 
remedy for this state, no hope for the worldly 
man? Yes, there is. Drop a purifying agent, 
say a piece of alum, into muddy water; the 
water is purified and the impurities settle down 
at the bottom of the vessel. Discrimination of 

3°4 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the Real from the unreal phenomenal universe 
and non-attachment to the world are the two 
purifying agents. Thus it is that the worldly 
man ceases to be worldly and becomes pure. 

Worldly people have the knowledge of diver- 
sity, which is the same as ignorance. But true 
knowledge makes one realize the unity of ex- 
istence. "This is gold, that is brass" is igno- 
rance, while "all is gold" is true knowledge. All 
differentiation ceases, when true knowledge 
comes. 

Sankara * was a great Jnani. He had true 
Self-knowledge ; he realized one Brahman every- 
Sankaraand where and in all beings. He recog- 
the Pariah. n i ze d no distinction in caste or creed. 
At one time, however, he had the consciousness 
of difference; he would differentiate a pariah 
from a high-caste Brahmin or a sage. He 
would not touch a pariah after bathing in the 
sacred river Ganges. One day a pariah was 
carrying animal flesh along the river bank as 
Sankara was coming from his bath and the 
pariah ran against him. Sankara exclaimed: 
"Sirrah, how darest thou touch me?" The 
pariah replied: "Neither hast thou touched me 

* Sankara, same as Sankaracharya. See note p. 279. 
3°5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

nor have I touched thee. The Atman is pure. 
it is neither body nor the elements of the body. 
It is far above the twenty-four categories of the 
universe. Thou art the real Atman: so am I. 
How can I touch thee?" Sankara bowed down 
before the pariah and lo! the pariah trans 
figured himself into Shiva, the Lord of wisdom. 
At that moment Sankara's spiritual eyes were 
open and he realized the absolute oneness of the 
Atman. "I am pure and spotless Atman, 
eternally free": this is the nature of true Self- 
knowledge. 

Spiritual practices (Sadhana) are absolutely 
necessary for Self-knowledge; but if there be 
Spiritual perfect faith, then a little practice 

practices. w m fa en0 ugh. One must have faith 
in the words of the Guru or spiritual master. 
Vyasa * was about to cross the river Jamuna. 
At this moment the Gopis (shepherdesses) ar- 
rived. They also wished to go across, but there 
was no ferry-boat. They asked Vyasa, ''Lord, 
what shall we do?" Vyasa replied: "Do not 
worry, I will get you across the river; but I am 
Vyasa and very hungry. Can you give me some- 
the Gopis. thmg to eat?" The Gopis had with 
them a quantity of milk, cream and fresh butter. 

* Vyasa, see note p. 108. 
306 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

He consumed them all. The Gopis then asked: 
"What about crossing the river?" Vyasa 
stood near the edge of the water and prayed: 
"0 Jamuna! as I have not eaten anything 
to-day, by that virtue I ask Thee to divide the 
waters, so that we can walk across Thy bed and 
reach the other side." No sooner did he utter 
these words than the waters parted and the dry 
bed was laid bare. The Gopis were amazed. 
They thought: "How could he say, 'as I have 
not eaten anything to-day,' when just now he 
has eaten so much?" They did not see that 
this was a proof of firm faith; that Vyasa had 
the faith that he did not eat anything, but that 
the Lord who dwelt within him was the real 
Eater. 

The first stage of spiritual practice is associa- 
tion with spiritual people, the company of holy 
stages of spir- men. The second stage is faith in ( 
•tuai practice, things relating to the Spirit. The 
third stage is single-minded devotion to one's 
Ideal. The Ideal may be one's Guru, the 
spiritual teacher, the Impersonal Brahman, the 
Personal God or any of His manifestations. The 
fourth stage is the state of being struck speech- 
less at the thought of God. The fifth stage, 
when the feeling of devotion to God reaches the 

307 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

highest point; it is called Mahabhava. The 
devotee sometimes laughs, sometimes weeps 
like a madman. He loses all control over his 
body. This state is not attained by ordinary 
human beings who are not capable of conquer- 
ing the flesh. It is reached by Incarnations of 
God who appear in this world for the salvation 
of mankind. The sixth stage, Prema or ecstatic 
love, goes hand in hand with Mahabhava. It 
is the most intense love of God and is strictly 
the highest state of spirituality. The two 
marks of this stage are the forgetfulness of this 
world and the forgetfulness of self, which in- 
cludes one's own body. 

After delivering this sermon, the Bhagavan 
said to His audience that He would be glad to 
answer any question. But none was asked, so 
the Bhagavan continued: 

Knowledge (Jn&na) cannot be communicated 
all at once. Its attainment must be gradual. 
Attainment Suppose a fever is of a severe type 
of knowledge The doctor would not give quinine 
gradua. under such circumstances. He knows 

that such a remedy would do no good. The 
fever must first leave the patient, which re- 
quires time, and then the quinine will take 
effect. Sometimes the fever will go off without 

308 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the help of quinine or any other medicine. Pre- 
cisely the same is the case with the man who 
seeks for knowledge. To him religious precepts 
often prove useless so long as he is immersed in 
worldliness. Allow him a certain time for en- 
joyment of the things of the world, then his 
attachment to the world will gradually wear off. 
This is exactly the moment for the success of 
any religious instructions that may be given to 
him. Till then all such instructions will be 
entirely thrown away like pearls before swine. 
Many come to me and I have observed how some 
of them are anxious to listen to my words. 
But others of the company appear to be rest- 
less and impatient in my presence. They say 
to their friends in whispers: "Let us go, let us 
go. Well, if you wish to stay, we will go to the 
boat and wait for you there. ' ' Spiritual awaken- 
ing is very much a question of time. The 
teacher is a mere help. 

The meeting then broke up. 

ii 
Sri Ramakrishna (to a disciple) : The fact is, 
Karma (past all this desire for knowledge or for 
actions). freedom depends upon one's Karma 
in one's previous incarnations. 

3°9 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Disciple: Yes, Bhagavan, it is so difficult to 
understand one's self. We see the self only as 
it appears to us. Behind it there may be a 
hundred previous incarnations. We walk upon 
the floor of a house but we never stop to see how 
it is made and what various things are beneath 
it. 

The Bhagavan smiled at the disciple and left 
His seat. He went out into the veranda next 
to the western door of His room and for a time 
looked on the sun which was sinking rapidly 
towards the horizon. Then He gazed down 
upon the holy waters of the sacred stream be- 
fore Him. A disciple was walking alone in 
front of the Temple on the embankment of the 
Ganges. He was watching Balaram and others 
getting into a boat to return to Calcutta. It 
being midsummer, the sacred waters of the 
river were broken into waves. The day was 
drawing to its close, it was past five, the sky 
was cloudy and the clouds presented a most 
wonderful sight, especially towards the north. 
In the foreground were the Panchavati, backed 
by a line of tall willow trees," with the silver 
stream flowing past on their right. In the back- 
ground were the beautiful dark blue clouds and 
the dark stream beneath. 

310 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

The disciple was looking on this charming 
scene. Suddenly his attention was arrested by 
the Bhagavan coming from the south in the 
direction of the Panchavati and the willow trees. 
As Sri Ramakrishna, smiling like a child of five, 
came up, the beautiful picture seemed to be 
more than complete. There was the universe 
on the one hand, and on the other the One Soul 
who reflected the universe and saw it in its real 
nature. Yes, the disciple felt that "rh that 
Presence he was as near the solution of the 
problem of life as he could be. It was this 
Presence that made everything — the images of 
gods and goddesses, men, women and children, 
trees, flowers, leaves, every inch of ground in 
that Temple instinct with spirituality and full 
of the Joy of the Lord. Yes, he felt truly that 
it was the God-Man before him that had thrown 
an irresistible charm over everything in that 
wonderful place — over every object, divine or 
human, animate or inanimate, seen by the 
outer or by the inner eye, from the dust under 
His Hallowed Feet to those sacred images wor- 
shipped in the Temple or perceived by looking 
within that other temple, the body of man, that 
veritable " revelation in the flesh." He felt 
like one spell-bound in that Presence! 

3 11 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



111 

It was evening. After the usual prayers and 
other religious exercises enjoined on the pious 
Hindu were over, there was yet another meeting 
between the Master and the same disciple. The 
disciple then asked, referring to the apparently 
contradictory systems of religious faith among 
the Hindus: Bhagavan, is this a contradiction: 
some among the Hindus hold that Sri Krishna 
is identical with Kali, the Divine Mother, while 
others hold that Sri Krishna is the Atman, the 
Absolute, and that Radha is Chitsakti, the 
self-conscious Power that rules the universe, 
the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, the Per- 
sonal God? 

Bhagavan: The former view is that of the 
Devi Puran. Be it so, but there need be no 
God is contradiction. God is Infinite. Infi- 

infinite. n [^ e are the Forms in which He mani- 

fests Himself. Infinite also are the ways leading 
to Him. 

Disciple: Oh, I see! The end in view is to 
get on the roof of the house. The means may 
be various, as Thou hast often said, — a single 
rope, a bamboo, a wooden ladder, or a staircase? 

Bhagavan: Quite so. That you can under 
312 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

stand this so quickly is due to the Grace of God. 
Without His Grace doubt is never 

Grace of God. ^_ 

cleared up. Our attitude towards 
God should be like that of Hanuman. who said 
to Rama Chandra: "Lord, I care not for a 
special time or place for meditation. What 
alone I am concerned with is to meditate upon 
Thee." 

Suppose you go into a garden to eat mangoes. 
Is it necessary for you first to count the number 
Love of God °^ trees m the garden, which may be 
the one thing many thousands, then the number 
of branches, which may be hundreds 
of thousands? Certainly not; you should at 
once, on the contrary, proceed to eat. In the 
same way, it is useless to enter into all sorts of 
discussions and controversies regarding God, 
which would only cause a waste of time and 
energy. One's present and most important 
duty is to love God, to cultivate Bhakti or 
devotion. 

Disciple: Bhagavan, I greatly desire that my 
work in the world should become a little less 
than now. The pressure of work stands in the 
way of one's giving one's whole mind to God, 
does it not ? 

Bhagavan: Oh yes, no doubt that is so; but 
3*3 



GOSPEL OF RAM\KRISHNA 

a wise man may work unattached and then work 
will not do any harm to him. 

Disciple: But that depends upon the posses- 
sion of an extraordinary power of will derived 
from the realization of God. First realization 
of God, then work without attachment. Is it 
not so, Bhagavan? 

Sri Ramakrishna: I must say you are right. 
But the probability is, you must have desired 
Power of these things in your previous incar- 
desire. nations. This reminds me of the 

story narrated in one of the Sacred Books. It 
is said that Sri Krishna had made his abode in 
the heart of Radha; so long there was no Lila 
(the life of sport that he lived in Vrindavan). 
But he felt the desire to take the form of a 
human being; the consequence of this desire- 
was that he came to Vrindavan. Such is the 
power of desire. Your duty now is to pray 
without ceasing for love of God, so that the 
bondage of work shall gradually fall off. 

Disciple: Is it, Bhagavan, the duty of the 
householder to save against a rainy day? 

Bhagavan: Try to follow the precept of 
Cast ail care Jadrichchdl&bha, that is, availing 
on God. oneself of things that come naturally 

in one's way without one's having to put 

314 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

forth any efforts for the attainment of those 
things. Do not take so much thought for 
things of that kind, such as saving against a 
rainy day. Cast your cares on God. What do 
you think takes place at the time of my 
Samadhi ? 

Disciple : Thy spirit is then in the sixth plane 
mentioned in the Vedanta. Then Thou comest 
down to the fifth plane when Thou beginnest to 
talk. 

Bhagavan: I am only a humble instrument 
in His hands. He is doing all these things. I 
do not know anything. 

Disciple: Because of this wonderful self- 
abnegation all people are drawn to Thee. Thou 
didst say that Maya is attachment to one's own 
relatives and friends, but Daya, is love extend- 
ing to all mankind — even to all God's creatures. 
I do not understand the difference. Is not 
Daya a feeling which makes a man cling to the 
world ? 

Bhagavan: Daya is not a bad feeling. On 
the contrary it is elevating and leads one God- 
ward. Do you believe in God with form or 
without form? 

Disciple: I go so far as the attributes. God 
has attributes. So far I see clearly enough. But 

3*5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is it not a fact that it is impossible to think of 
the "Formless" without the help of a form? 
In any case, we have to go through forms and 
symbols. 

Bhagavan (smiling) : You see that I lay 
stress upon the worship of God with form as 
eminently favorable for the cultivation of 
devotion. 

Disciple : Is Pandit Sasadhar * making any 
progress in this direction, — in the culture of 
Bhakti or devotion? 

Bhagavan: Yes; but his tendency is in the 

direction of the path of knowledge. These 

men belong to a class of their own. They do 

not see that this way is exceedingly difficult. 

It is sufficient if one can give up the 

Renunciation. , , . , • -i ^ i 

world m the mind. Outward re- 
nunciation is not absolutely necessary. 

Disciple: What Thou say est is, as it seems to 
me, intended for the weak. For men of the 
highest class is meant renunciation in the strict 
sense of the word. They must give up the 
world not only in their mind but also out- 
wardly. 



* See page 262. 
316 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan: You have heard all about renun- 
ciation as I have taught it. 

Disciple: Yes, Bhagavan, I understand by- 
renunciation not only the absence of attach- 
ment to things of this world. It is non-attach- 
ment to things of this world plus something. 
That something is the love of God. 

Bhagavan: You are right. I am glad that 
you see this. God-vision cannot be made clear 
state of God- to others. The state of things that 
vision. comes about may, however, be de- 

scribed to a certain extent. You have no 
doubt been to the theatre to witness a dramatic 
performance. Before the performance com- 
mences, you must have noticed that the people 
are very busy talking to one another on a 
variety of subjects, — politics, household affairs, 
official business. But no sooner does the drop- 
curtain go up and mountains, cottages, rivers, 
men are presented to view than all noise ceases, 
all conversation ends and each individual 
spectator is all attention to the novel scene that 
is being enacted before him. Pretty much the 
same is the state of him who is blessed with 
God- vision. 

Disciple: Ecstatic love of God, as Thou hast 
said this day, is the string with which to bind 

3 X 7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the God of love. With such love one may be 
sure of seeing God. But the question is whether 
such love is within the reach of the man of the 
world (Grihastha). 

The Bhagavan remained silent. 
3i8 



CHAPTER XI 

sri ramakrishna at the sinti * brahmo- 
samAj 



Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna had been asked 
to attend the anniversary meeting of the Brah- 
mo-Samaj, which that year was held in the 
beautiful garden-house of a gentleman named 
Veni Babu.f The morning service was over 
when the Bhagavan arrived in a carriage with 
certain of His disciples and took His place on a 
raised seat set apart for Him on the veranda 
overlooking a large quadrangle. Crowds of dev- 
otees, followers and members of the Brahmo- 
Samaj gathered round Him in a circle. The 
prayers, music and other exercises of a devo- 

* Sinti, a village about four miles north of Calcutta. 
f Veni Babu was a follower of the Brahmo-Samaj. He 
regarded Ramakrishna as the most Divine man of the age. 

3 J 9 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

tional nature then continued. On hearing the 
music, Sri Ramakrishna went into Samadhi and 
remained motionless for some time. Then re- 
gaining His sense-consciousness, He opened His 
mouth and in rapt tones began to speak thus: 

The realization of God is not the same as 
psychic power. There are many Yoga powers, 
Psychic but do you remember what Krishna 

powers. sa j(j ^ Arjuna about them? When 

you see one who exercises any of these powers, 
you may know that such a one has not realized 
God, because the exercise of these powers re- 
quires egotism (Ahamkara) , which is an obstacle 
in the path of supreme realization. 

There is, indeed, great danger in possessing 
psychic powers. Totapuri thus taught me 
Danger of ^is truth: A Siddha (a man who 
psychic had absolute control over psychic 

powers. phenomena) was sitting on the sea- 

shore. Suddenly there arose a violent storm, 
which caused him great distress. Desiring to 
stop it, he exclaimed: "Let this storm cease!" 
His command was instantly fulfilled. A vessel 
was passing at a distance with all sails set. As 
the wind suddenly died away, the vessel cap- 
sized and all on board were drowned. The 
Siddha was the cause of the disaster and there- 

320 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

fore he had to take the sin of killing so many 
innocent people. As the result of this terrible 
sin, he lost his power and after death he had to 
suffer in purgatory. 

There was another Siddha, who was very 
proud of his psychic powers. He was a good 
The siddha man an d an ascetic. One day the 
and the Lord came to him in the form of a 

eep an ' saint and said: "Revered sir, I have 
heard that thou possessest wonderful powers." 
The good man received him kindly and gave 
him a seat. At this moment an elephant passed 
by. The saint asked him: "Sir, if thou desirest, 
canst thou kill this elephant?" The Siddha 
replied: "Yes, it is possible"; and taking a 
handful of dust, he repeated some mantram 
over it and threw it on the elephant. Imme- 
diately the animal roared, fell on the ground 
in agony and died. Seeing this, the saint ex- 
claimed: "What wonderful power thou possess- 
est! Thou hast killed such a huge creature in 
a moment!" The saint then entreated him, 
saying: "Thou must also possess the power to 
bring him back to life." The Siddha replied: 
"Yes, that is also possible." Again he took a 
handful of dust, chanted a mantram, threw it on 

the elephant, and lo! the elephant revived and 

321 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

came back to life. The saint was amazed at the 
sight and again exclaimed: ''How wonderful in- 
deed are thy powers ! But let me ask thee one 
question. Thou hast killed the elephant and 
brought him back to life ; what hast thou gained ? 
Hast thou realized God?" Thus saying, the 
saint disappeared. 

Most subtle is the path of spirituality. God 

cannot be realized so long as there is the least 

desire for powers in the heart. You 

Desire for L 

powers cannot thread a needle so long as 

prevents there are fibres at the point of the 

realization. . x 

thread. Krishna said to Arjuna: 
"Brother, if thou wishest to realize Me "(God), 
thou must not desire any psychic powers. The 
possession of psychic power brings pride and 
egotism, then one easily forgets God. So long 
as there is egotism, Divine realization does 
not come." 

There are four different stages in the path of 
realization. First, that of a beginner, a Pra- 
Four stages vartaka, or one who has just begun 
of realization. to wor ship God. Those who belong 
to this class begin to wear the sign of their creed , 
such as the rosary or the mark on the forehead, 
and they are very particular about the external 
forms of their sect. The second stage is that 

322 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

of the neophyte or Sddhaka. Those of this 
class are farther advanced. They do not 
parade their beliefs and do not attach so much 
importance to external signs. Their worship is 
internal. They repeat the Lord's Name silently, 
pray without ostentation and feel some longing 
for God. The third stage is that of Siddha. 
What is a Siddha? One who is firmly con- 
vinced in his heart and soul that God exists, 
that He does everything, that He is the Omnipo- 
tent Being, and who has obtained a first glimpse 
of Him. The fourth stage is that of the Siddha 
of Siddhas. One who has reached this stage 
has not only seen God but has made acquaint- 
ance with Him and has established a definite 
relation with Him, — either that of a son to his 
father or that of a mother to her child, or that 
of friend to friend or of brother to brother, or 
the relation of husband and wife. 

To believe that fire is in the wood is faith. 
This is one thing, but it is another thing to 
Faith and bring that fire out of the wood, to 
realization. CO ok something with it, to eat this 
and to attain peace and happiness afterwards. 
So to believe that God is in the world and to 
catch a distant glimpse of Him is one thing; 
but to come into direct communion with Him, 

3 2 3 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

to enjoy His company and taste Divine Bliss is 
another. No one can set a limit to the various 
aspects of God which a Bhakta can realize. 
They rise ever higher and higher. 

A devotee: Bhagavan, why can some attain 
to realization more quickly than others? 

Ramakrishna: It depends upon the Sam- 
skaras or impressions of previous lives. Nothing 
happens suddenly or by accident. A certain 
man drank an ounce of wine in the morning 
and began to act like a drunkard. People, 
seeing him, wondered why he should be drunk 
after taking one small glass of wine. Hearing 
them, however, another man replied: "Because 
he has been drinking all night." There have 
Sudden been many instances of sudden con- 

conversion, version. People living in the midst 
of wealth and luxury have suddenly renounced 
the world. Such sudden changes are the re- 
sults of spiritual impressions acquired in the 
previous life. In the final incarnation of a 
Jiva, Sattwa qualities prevail: his heart and 
soul long for realization, the mind becomes un- 
attached to worldly pleasures and constantly 
remains fixed upon the Supreme Being. 

These people here believe in and worship God 
without form; that is right. (Addressing the 

3 2 4 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Brahmo devotees) Be firm only in devotion to 
Firmness of one as P ec t, either in God with form 
faith necessary or in God without form. Firmness in 

formalization. faith ^ the firgt thing necessary 

for realization. Nothing can be achieved with- 
out firmness. If you have firm faith in God 
with form you will attain to Him; similarly if 
you firmly believe in an impersonal and form- 
less Deity, you will reach Him. Candy will 
taste sweet whether you bite it straight or 
crooked. But you will have to be firm and you 
will have to call upon Him with extreme long- 
ing. When a worldly man speaks of God, do 
you know what it seems like to me? It is just 
like children quarrelling in their play and taking 
the name of God in vain; or like a fop walking 
in the garden, stick in hand, who picks a flower 
and idly exclaims: "What a beautiful flower 
God has made!" And even this mindfulness 
of God exists only for a moment, like drops of 
water on a red-hot iron. Firmness in devotion 
to one aspect is absolutely ^necessary. Dive 
deep. Without diving into the ocean no one 
can get the treasure. If you float on the sur- 
face, you cannot reach it. Learn to love God. 
Be absorbed in His love. I have heard your 
prayers and devotional exercises; but why do 

3 2 5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

you speak so much of the phenomena which 
God has made? "0 Lord, Thou hast made 
the sky, the mighty ocean, the moon, the sun, 
the stars and planets. O Lord, Thou hast 
made all these, and so on." Why do you dwell 
upon these things? Seeing the beautiful gar- 
den of a rich man, everyone will exclaim : "What 
a beautiful tree! What a handsome flower! 
What a large pond and what fine fish in it ! 
What an artistic building! With what rich 
paintings is the drawing-room decorated!" 
At the sight of all this everyone is struck with 
wonder, but how many seek to know the master 
of the garden? A few only. Those who seek 
God with intense longing see Him, make ac- 
quaintance with Him, speak with Him, just 
in the same manner as I am speaking to you. 
I am telling you the truth when I say that God 
can be seen. Who will listen to me and who will 
believe me? 

Can God be found in the Scriptures? After 
reading the Scriptures, the highest knowledge 
God and the on e can get is about the existence of 
Scriptures. a q 0( j ; but q 0( ^ does not appear to 
him who does not dive below the surface. Un- 
til then doubts are not removed and Divine 
knowledge does not come. You may read 

326 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

thousands of volumes, you may repeat verses 
and hymns by hundreds, but if you cannot dive 
into the ocean of Divinity with extreme longing 
of the soul, you cannot reach God. A scholar 
may delude the people by his knowledge of the 
Scriptures and by his book-learning, but 
through these he will not attain to God. Scrip- 
tures, books, sciences, what good will they do? 
Nothing can be acquired without the 
Grace of the Lord. Yearn after His 
Grade, devote your energy to obtaining it and 
by His Grace you will see Him and He will be 
glad to speak to you. 

Sub-Judge: Revered Sir, is He more gracious 
to some than to others ? In that case He would 
be partial and unjust. 

Sri Ramakrishna: How is that? Is a horse 
the same thing as an earthen pot ? Vidyasagara 
Difference in asked me the same question. He 
powers. gaid t me: l4 Has God given greater 

powers to some than to others?" I replied: 
11 God pervades all living creatures equally. 
He dwells in me in the same way that He dwells 
in the smallest ant, but there is a difference in 
powers. If all human beings were equal in 
powers, then why have we come to see you, 
after hearing of you? Is it because you have 

3 2 7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

two horns on your head? No, it is because you 
are kind, charitable, learned and have many 
other qualities greater than in others. It is 
for this reason that your fame is so great. Do 
you not know men who alone can defeat a 
hundred men, and again a man who will run 
away from a single person?" If there be no 
difference in powers, why should people respect 
Keshab Chunder Sen so much? It is said in 
the Gita, he whom many people respect and 
honor either for his knowledge or for his musical 
gifts or for his oratorical powers or for any other 
reason, in him, be assured, there is a special 
manifestation of Divine power. 

A Brahmo devotee (to Sub-Judge) : Why do 
you not accept what he says? 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Brahmo devotee) : 
What kind of man are you? Do you not know 
that it is hypocrisy to accept an opinion out- 
wardly without believing in it ? 

Sub-Judge : Revered Sir, shall we have to re- 
nounce the world? 

Sri Ramakrishna: No. Why should you re- 
nounce? You can attain to God while living 
Worship God in the world ; but at first for a few 
in solitude. days you will have to live in solitude 
and worship Him alone. It is necessary to 

3*8 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

have a quiet place near your house where you 
can occasionally be alone for hours at a time 
and yet go home for your meals. Keshab Sen, 
Mozoomdar, and others have told me that they 
are like Raja Janaka, who lived in the world 
and yet attained to the highest realization. I 
replied: "It is not an easy thing to be like Raja 
Janaka. Raja Janaka was at first a great 
ascetic and practised extreme asceticism for 
many years. You could be like him if you 
practised a little. A man who writes English 
very fluently has not acquired that facility all 
at once; he has had to practise for a long time." 
I also said to Keshab Sen: "Without going into 
solitude, how can one cure so acute a disease as 
worldliness ? It is like the worst form of typhoid 
fever. If you keep bottles of chutney and jars 
of water where a patient is suffering from this 
fever, he will surely be tempted to eat the one 
and drink the other and then it will be im- 
possible for the best physicians to cure him. 
Objects of lust are like the bottles of chutney, 
and desire to enjoy is like the thirst after water. 
Worldly thirst has no end. And so long as the 
object of thirst is kept within reach of the 
patient, how can he be cured? Therefore I 
say, withdraw from the place where those ob- 

3 2 9 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

jects are and remain in solitude for a time. 
Then when the disease is cured, you may live in 
the world without being tempted by it. It is 
then that you will live like Raja Janaka." 
But in the first stage you must be very watch- 
ful. In solitude steadily practise devotional 
exercises. When a fig-tree is young, it must be 
protected by a hedge, otherwise it may be eaten 
up by sheep and cattle; but when the trunk 
has grown thick, the hedge is no longer neces- 
sary. You may tie an elephant to it without 
hurting it. If after practising in solitude you 
have acquired true Bhakti (devotion to God) 
and have gained spiritual strength, then you 
can go home and live in the world ; nothing can 
corrupt you. 

Sub-Judge (with great delight) : Revered Sir, 
these are most beautiful teachings. We need 
to practise in solitude, but we always forget it 
and think that we have at once become Raja 
Janaka. It has given me great peace and joy 
to hear that it is not absolutely necessary to 
leave the world and that God can be realized 
even at home. 

Sri Ramakrishna: Renunciation, why should 
you practise it? When you have to fight, it is 
better to do so from within the fort. You will 

33° 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

have to fight against the senses, against hunger, 

Renunciation thirst and ° ther desires. This fight 

and worldly is easier from within the fott of 
the world. In this age our life de- 
pends upon material food; if you cannot get 
anything to eat for a day, your mind will be 
turned away from God. A man once said to 
his wife: "I am going to leave the world." The 
wife was very practical and replied: "Why wilt 
thou wander from house to house for food? 
When thou art in need of food, is it not better 
to go to one house than to ten or more? " Why 
should you renounce? It is so much more con- 
venient to live at home. You do not have to 
worry about food; then you have your wife 
with you. Whenever your body needs any- 
thing, you will have it right at hand; when you 
are ill, you will have many to nurse you. Janaka, 
Vyasa, Vasishta and others first attained God- 
consciousness and then lived in the world. 
They had two swords in their hands, — the one 
of wisdom and the other of work. 

Sub-Jddge: Revered Sir, how can we know 
that true wisdom ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: When true wisdom comes, 
God does not appear to be very far. He is no 
longer there, but here in the heart. He is no 

33 1 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

longer that but this. He dwells within all. 
Whoever seeks Him finds Him. 

Sub-Judge: I am a sinner; how can I say that 
God dwells in me ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: You always talk of sin 
and sinners; this is the Christian doctrine. 
Have faith in the Holy Name of the Lord. By 
the power of faith all sins will be washed away. 

Sub-Judge: Revered Sir, how can I have 
such a faith? 

Ramakrishna: First be devoted to God. 
You have in one of your songs: "O Lord, canst 
Thou be known without devotion, simply by 
good works and sacrifice?" That which brings 
true devotion and unselfish love for God you 
must pray for with earnest longing in silence. 
Shed tears of repentance until you have ac- 
quired these. 

A Brahmo devotee: Revered Sir, when will 
they get time? They have to work in their 
offices. 

Ramakrishna (to Sub -Judge ) : Well, resign 
yourself to the will of the Lord and draw up a 
Resign all power of attorney in His favor. If 
to God. anyone depends entirely upon some 

good man, does he do any evil to him? Inter- 
nally lay upon Him your whole burden and sit 

33 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

calmly, without anxiety. Whatever He has 
given you to do, do that. A kitten has no self- 
reliance. It mews and mews and stays where 
the mother cat places it. She may put it on a 
soft bed or on the hard floor of the kitchen ; the 
kitten is always content and depends entirely 
on the will of the mother. 

Sub-Judge: We are householders with cer- 
Househoider's tain duties; how long shall we have 
duties. ^ perform these? 

Ramakrishna: Of course you have your 
duties. You will have to bring up your chil- 
dren, sustain your wife, save enough to maintain 
your family after your death. If you did not 
do this you would be heartless and cruel. Even 
great sages like Sukadeva practised loving-kind- 
ness. He is not a man who has neither heart 
nor kindness. 

Sub-Judge: How long shall we maintain our 
children ? 

Ramakrishna: Until they have passed the 
age of minority. When the young bird is able 
to take care of itself, it pecks at the parent 
bird, if she tries to come near it. 

Sub-Judge: What is the duty towards the 
wife? 

Ramakrishna : As long as you live you should 
333 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

give her spiritual advice and sustain and care 
for her. If she is faithful, save enough to make 
her comfortable after your death. But when 
God-consciousness comes, no worldly duties 
can bind you. Then if you do not think of the 
morrow, God will think for you. If 

God provides . ~ T 

lor those who you attain to God-consciousness. He 
have realized w [\\ provide for the support of your 
family. When a Zemindar dies, 
leaving a son under age. a guardian manages 
the estate for the child. These are legal affairs; 
you understand them all. 

Sub-Judge: Yes, Revered Sir. 

Bijoy: Oh, how great, how wonderful are 
these words! He who thinks of the Lord with 
unwavering mind and a heart overflowing with 
devotion and love for God, is undoubtedly taken 
care of by the Lord. The Lord carries every- 
thing for him like the guardian of the 
Zemindar's son. Oh, when shall I reach such 
a state! How blessed are those who have 
attained it! 

A Brahmo devotee: Revered Sir, can true 
wisdom be acquired in the world ? Can God be 
realized in the world? 

Ramakrishna: You are on the fence, you 
wish to enjoy both God and the world. Of 

334 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

course God can be realized by one who lives in 
the world. 

Brahmo devotee: What is the sign of one 
Signs of true who has attained true wisdom living 
wisdom. i n t j ie W orld? 

Ramakrishna: When the repetition of the 
Name of the Lord will bring tears to the eyes, 
send a thrill through the whole body and make 
the hair stand on end. The spiritual eye must 
be opened. It is open when the mind is 
purified. Then the presence of Divinity will 
be realized everywhere and every woman will 
appear as Divine Mother. Everything is in 
the mind. The impure mind brings attachment 
to the world, and the purified mind brings the 
realization of God. The impure mind of a man 
becomes attached to a woman. Woman natu- 
rally loves man and man naturally loves woman, 
and from this spring attachment and worldlmess. 

Every woman represents Divine Motherhood. 
The same Divine Mother appears in all women 
Divine Mother under various forms. It is said in 
in ail women. t he Scriptures that Narada in prayer 
thus addressed Rama: "O Rama, Thou art 
Purusha, Thou appearest in the form ot all men, 
and Sita, Thy Prakriti, appears in the form of 
all women. Thou art man and Sita is woman. 

335 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Wherever there is masculine form, it is Thy 
manifestation; and wherever there is feminine 
form, it is the manifestation of Sita, the Divine 
Mother." 

So long as there is attachment to worldliness, 
and thirst for objects of lust, so long there is 
Attachment attachment to the body. As at- 
to the body, tachment to the world grows less, 
the mind goes towards the Atman or the true 
Selt and the attachment to the physical body 
becomes less. When the attachment to the 
world has entirely vanished, Self-knowledge 
comes and the Atman is separated from the 
physical body. When an ordinary cocoanut is 
cut into halves, it is very difficult to separate the 
kernel from the shell; but when it is dried, the 
kernel becomes separate from the shell by itself. 
You can feel it by shaking it. A man who has 
realized God becomes like the dry cocoanut ; his 
soul becomes separate from his body and all 
attachment to the body leaves him. He is not 
affected by the pleasure and pain of the body; 
he does not seek the comforts of the body ; he 
moves from place to place like an emancipated 
soul. ''A true devotee of my Divine Mother 
attains absolute freedom in this life and is 
eternally blissful. 1 ' When you notice that 

33 6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRisHNA 

tears flow and the thrill comes at the repetition 
of the Name of the Lord, then you may know 
that attachment to sense-objects has become 
less and the devotee is on the path of realization. 
For instance, if the match is dry it will ignite 
the moment it is struck; but if it be wet, you 
can strike it fifty times and yet you cannot get 
a light. Similarly when the mind is soaked 
in the water of lust and thirst for worldly 
objects, Divine enlightenment does not come in 
it, however hard you ma}' try; it is merely a 
waste of time and labor. But when that water 
dries up, spiritual illumination comes instantly. 

Brahmo devotee: By what method can that 
water be dried up? 

Ramakrishna: Pray to the Divine Mother 

with an earnest and sincere heart; when you 

see Her, the water of worldly attach- 

The Divine . 

Mother will ment will dry up. Attachment to 
cure worldly i us ^ an( j we alth will drop away from 

attachment. z. 

you. If you can feel Her as your 
own mother, it will come to you at that very 
moment. She is not like a godmother, but she 
is your own Mother. Go to Her and impor- 
tunately ask for what you want. An impor- 
tunate child hangs on its mother's gown and 
begs a penny to buy a paper kite. The mother 

337 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

may be engaged in talking to other girls and at 
first she may not wish to give it, saying: "No, 
your father has forbidden it. I'll speak to him 
when he comes home. You will spoil every- 
thing if you get a paper kite." But when the 
child begins to cry and will not give in, then the 
mother says to her companions: "Just wait a 
minute, let me quiet the child"; she then gets 
the key to her drawer, opens the money-box, 
and gives him what he is crying for. Similarly 
you cry to your Mother and pray to Her, She 
will surely come to you. (Turning to Sub- 
Pride and Judge) What is the cause of pride 
egotism. an( j egotism ? Do they arise from 

knowledge or ignorance? Egotism is the qual- 
ity of Tamas arising from ignorance. It is a 
barrier which prevents the soul from^ seeing 
God. When it dies, all troubles cease. Of what 
avail is it to be egotistic? This body with all 
its comforts and luxuries will not last long. A 
drunkard, after seeing an image at the Durga 
festival beautifully decorated with jewels and 
costly ornaments, exclaimed : ''Mother, you may 
decorate yourself with all these valuable things, 
but after three days they will take you out and 
throw you in the Ganges." So I say to you all, 
whether you be a judge or any great personage, 

33* 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it is only for a few days. Therefore you must 
not be proud or egotistic about anything. 

People's characters can be divided into three 
classes, — Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa. Those 
Three classes who belong to the first class are ego- 
of characters, tistic ; they sleep too much, eat too 
much, and passion and anger prevail in them 
Those who belong to the second class are too 
much attached to work. They love nice, well- 
fitting clothes and are very neat ; they care for 
a luxurious, richly furnished house; when they 
sit and worship God, they love to wear costly 
garments; when they give anything to charity 
they parade it. Those who belong to the third 
class are very quiet, peaceful, unostentatious; 
they are not particular about their dress, they 
lead a simple life and earn a modest living, be- 
cause their needs are small ; they do not flatter 
for selfish ends ; their dwelling is modest ; they 
do not worry about their children's dress; they 
are not anxious for fame, nor do they care for 
the admiration or adulation of others; they 
worship God, give charity and meditate silently 
and in secret. This Sattwa quality is the last 
step of the ladder which leads to the roof of 
Divinity. A person reaching this state does 
not have to wait long for God-consciousness. 

339 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

(To Sub-Judge) You said a little while ago 
that all men were equal, but now you see how 
characters vary. 

ii 

Music for a time interrupted the teaching and 
Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, on hearing it, again 
went into Samadhi. The Brahmo devotees sang 
the Sankirtan, and when they had finished, all 
those present resumed their seats, Bijoy taking 
his place just before Sri Ramakrishna. It was 
the hour for another Brahmo service at which 
Bijoy, who was the leader of the Brahmo- 
Samaj, was to read from the Vedas and give an 
address. Before going to the platform, he 
asked Sri Ramakrishna's permission, saying: 
"Bhagavan, grant me Thy blessing, then I 
shall begin the service." 

Ramakrishna: When egotism is gone, every- 
thing is accomplished. "I am lecturing and 
Egotism and you are listening; " this sense of ego- 
knowiedge. tism you must not have. Egotism 
proceeds from ignorance and not from knowl- 
edge. He who is free from egotism attains 
knowledge. The rain-water gathers in a low 
place, it runs off from a high place; similarly 
the water of wisdom gathers in the humble 

340 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

heart. It is very difficult to be a spiritual 
leader (Acharya). One easily loses a great deal 
by it. When many people show honor and re- 
spect, ordinary preachers become egotistic and 
are easily spoiled. They cannot- go further. 
They merely gain a little fame. Perhaps 
people will say: "Oh! Bijoy Babu is a good 
speaker or he is very wise," that is all. Never 
think, "I am speaking." I tell my Divine 
Mother: "O Mother, I am merely an instru- 
ment in Thy hands. Thou dost everything. 
As Thou guidest me and makest me speak, so 
shall I speak." 

Bijoy (very humbly) : Please give me Thy 
permission. Without Thy permission I cannot 
begin the service. 

Ramakrishna (smiling): Who am I to permit 
you? Ask the permission of the Lord. When 
genuine humility comes, there is no fear. 

Bijoy repeated his request and Sri Rama- 
krishna then said: "You can go and begin ac- 
cording to your custom, but keep your mind on 
God." 

Bijoy began the service with a prayer to the 
Divine Mother. After the service was over, he 
came down from the platform and again sat 
near Sri Ramakrishna. The Bhagavan said to 

341 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

him: You prayed to Divine Mother; that was 
very good. They say that the mother's at- 
traction towards her child is greater than the 
father's. You can urge your mother more 
strongly than you can your father. You have 
a stronger claim on anything that belongs to 
your mother than on anything of the father. 

Bijoy: If Brahman the Absolute be the 
Absolute Divine Mother, then is She with form 

Brahman and or without f Orm ? 

Ramakrishna : The Absolute Brah- 
man and the Mother of the universe are 
one and the same. Where there is no 
activity of any kind, that is the state of Ab- 
solute Brahman, but where there is evolution 
and destruction, there is the manifestation 
of the Divine Mother. When the water of 
the ocean is calm, without a wave or ripple, 
that is like the state of the Absolute. When 
the water is in motion and with waves, it 
is the state of the Creative Energy or Divine 
Mother. Divine Mother is both with form and 
without form. You have faith in formless 
Divinity, therefore you can think of my Mother 
as formless. When your faith is firm, the 
Divine Mother will show you how She is. Then 
you will know that it is not that She is mere 

342 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Absolute existence ; She will come to you and 
speak to you. Have faith and you will get 
everything. If you have faith in the formless 
Divinity, you must make that faith as firm as 
a rock. But do not be dogmatic; you must 
never dogmatize about God. You must not 
say that He is like this and not like anything 
else. You may say: "I believe in a formless 
Divinity, but what else He is, is known to Him. 
I do not know, I cannot understand." The 
small intellect of man cannot grasp the whole 
nature of God. A vessel which can hold a 
pound only, how can it contain four pounds? 
If God reveals Himself to one by His Grace and 
makes one understand His nature, then one 
realizes Him and not until then. The Absolute 
and the Divine Mother are one. 

Bijoy : How can we attain to the vision of the 
Divine Mother and the realization of the 
Absolute? 

Ramakrishna: With earnest longing and sin- 
cerity pray and cry. When the heart will be 
purified, then you will see the vision 

Vision of the . - 

Divine Mother as in pure water you can see the re- 
and the flection of the sun. Upon the mirror 

Absolute. ■ . 

of the ego of the devotee is to be 
seen the reflection ot the Absolute Mother of the 

343 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

universe with form. But the mirror should be 
thoroughly polished ; if there be a speck of dirt 
the reflection will not be perfect. When the 
sun is to be seen on the water of the ego and 
when there is no other means of getting a view 
of the real Sun, so long the reflected image of 
the sun should be considered as absolutely real. 
As long as the ego is real, so long the reflected 
image of the sun is real, not partially but ab- 
solutely. That reflected image of the sun is the 
Divine Mother. If you wish to reach the Abso- 
lute Brahman, which is impersonal and without 
attributes, then start from that reflected image 
and march towards the real Sun. The Personal 
God or Brahman with attributes is the one who 
listens to prayers. Pray to Him and He will 
grant the highest wisdom, because the same 
Personal God has the Impersonal aspect also, 
which is the Absolute Brahman. Divine En- 
ergy, which is the Mother of the universe, is 
another aspect of the same Brahman. All 
these merge into absolute oneness. The Mother 
can give Brahma- Jnana, the knowledge of the 
Absolute, as also true devotion and absolute 
love. God is the internal ruler of all. For- 
saking egotism, resign your will to His will; you 
will get everything you desire. When you mix 

344 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

with other people, you should love them all, 
Become one become absolutely one with* them. 
with an. Do not hate anyone. Do not 

recognize caste or creed. Do not say that this 
man believes in a Personal God, that man be- 
lieves in an Impersonal God ; this man worships 
God with form, that man worships God without 
form; this man is a Hindu, that one is a Chris- 
tian or a Mohammedan. Saying this, do not 
condemn one another. These distinctions ex- 
ist because God has made different people 
understand Him in different ways. The differ- 
ence lies in the nature of the individuals. 
Knowing this you will mix with all as closely 
as possible and love them as dearly as you can. 
Then when you go home, you will enjoy bliss- 
ful happiness in your soul. Light the candle of 
wisdom in the secret chamber of your heart. 
By that light see the face of my Absolute 
Mother, and by that light you will also see the 
true nature of your real Self. When cowherds 
ah sects of drive the cattle to a pasture from 
one family. different quarters, the cows form 
themselves into one herd as if of the same 
family; but when they return at night, they 
separate, each going to its own home. So the 
Bhaktas of different sects and creeds, when they 

345 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

meet, are like members of one family, but when 
they are by themselves, they show their peculiar 
beliefs and different creeds. 

It was late in the evening, and Ramakrishna, 
entering the carriage accompanied by a few 
devotees, returned to Dakshineswara. 

346 



CHAPTER XII 
AT THE HOUSE OF BALARAM,* A DISCIPLE 



Sri Ramakrishna arrived from Dakshines- 
wara at the house of His disciple Balaram about 
ten in the morning and had His breakfast there. 
It was this house which the Bhagavan chose to 
make His chief " vineyard" on that day. Here 
He had bound devotee after devotee by the tie 
of Divine Love. It was here that He had so 
often sung the Name of the Lord and danced at 
the head of His disciples. It seemed as if 
another Gouranga f had set up in the house of 
His disciple Srivash a fair for the "buying and 
selling of Divine Love." 

How great was the Master's love for His dis- 
ciples! There in the Temple of Kali alone by 

* See note p. 140. t See note p. 7. 

347 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Himself He often cried like a child, He so longed 
to see them. Sleepless at night He would say to 
the Divine Mother: "O Mother! Deign to draw 
them into the fold! They are so devoted to 
Thee! Oh, how I long to see them! Mother, 
bring them to me or take me to them." Was 
this the secret of His coming to Balaram's 
house so frequently? He declared, indeed, to 
everyone: "Balaram is a true Bhakta, he daily 
worships the Lord of the universe. His offer- 
ings are therefore always acceptable." But 
whenever He came to His house, He would say: 
"Go and invite my Narendra and other dis- 
ciples. Offering food to them is the same as 
offering it to God Himself. These, indeed, are 
not ordinary men. They are parts of Divinity 
manifest in the flesh." And many a time had 
the devotees met there "at the Durbar of God's 
love." 

Mahendra,* who taught in a neighboring 
school, had heard that Sri Ramakrishna was 
visiting at Balaram's house, so having a little 
leisure he came about noon to see Him. The 
mid-day dinner was over and the Bhagavan was 
in the drawing-room resting. His young dis- 

* See note page 33. 
348 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ciples were seated round Him. From time to 
time He was taking out spices from a small 
pouch. Mahendra, entering, bowed down and 
saluted His feet. 

Sri Ramakrishna (affectionately) :.. Mahendra ! 
You here ! Is there no school to-day ? 

Mahendra: I have come directly from school. 
I had just now nothing of importance to attend 
to there. 

A devotee: No, Revered Sir, he is playing 
the truant. 

Mahendra (to himself) : Ah me ! It is as if 
some Invisible Force had drawn me to this 
place. 

The Bhagavan then grew more serious and 
bade them take their seats. He said: For 
some time past I have not been able to touch 
any metal. Can you tell me why it is? Once 
when I put my hand on a metal cup, it was 
hurt as if stung by a horned fish and the pain 
lasted for a long while. I had to use a metal 
pitcher and I thought that I should be able to 
carry it by covering it with a towel; but no 
sooner did I touch it than I had excruciating 
pain in my hand. Then I prayed to my Divine 
Mother: "O Mother! I shall never touch metal 
again. Do Thou forgive me this time." 

349 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



11 

In the afternoon Sri Ramakrishna was still 
seated in Balaram's drawing-room. On His 
face was a sweet smile, the reflection of which 
was caught by the faces of the disciples. Girish 
Ghosh,* Suresh Mittra,f Balaram, Latoo,J 
Chunilall § and many other disciples were 
present. 

Ramakrishna (to Girish) : You would better 
argue the point with Narendra (Vivekananda) 
and see what he has to say. 

Girish: Narendra says: "God is Infinite. 

* Girish Chunder Ghosh, the greatest Hindu poet, drama- 
tist and actor of modern India. He is the founder and 
manager of many theatres in Calcutta. He is regarded as 
the Garrick of India. He translated Shakespeare's Macbeth 
into Bengali and played the part of the hero with wonderful 
ability and originality. He is a genius and the most devoted 
householder disciple of Ramakrishna. 

f See note p. 177. 

% Latoo, the devoted servant of Ramakrishna. Although 
he is illiterate he has reached the height of spiritual ecstasy 
through his whole-hearted service and devotion for his Divine 
Master. He is now one of the Sannyasin disciples of Rama- 
krishna. 

§ Babu Chunilall Bose is a gentle householder disciple of 
Ramakrishna. 

35° 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

We cannot even say that all that we hear or 
see — be it an object or a person — is a part of 
God. Infinity is one; how can it have parts? 
It cannot be divided." 

Ramakrishna: God may be Infinite or even 
greater than Infinite; but by His omnipotent 
Divine will He can manifest His essence 

incarnation, through human form and incarnate 
Himself among us. Indeed He does incarnate 
Himself as a human being. How He incarnates 
we cannot explain by words. One must feel it 
and realize it. By analogy we can get only a 
faint idea of it. For instance, if you have 
touched the horn, leg or udder of a cow, have 
you not touched the whole cow? But for us 
human beings the' milk is the most important 
thing and that you can get only from the udder, 
not from any other part of the body. The In- 
carnation of God is like the udder, through 
which flows the milk of Divine Love. In order 
to give mankind His essence of Divine Love 
and Bhakti the Lord incarnates from time to 
time in a human form. 

Girish: Narendra says: "Is it possible to 
fully comprehend God? He is Infinite." 

Ramakrishna: That is true. Who can fully 
comprehend God or even any of His attributes, 

35 1 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

great or small? Why is it necessary for us to 
know all His attributes ? It is enough if we can 
see Him and realize Him. Moreover, he who 
has seen His Divine Incarnation has seen God. 
Suppose a man goes to the banks of the holy 
river Ganges and touches the water. He will 
say: "I have seen and touched the holy river." 
It will not be necessary for him to touch the 
whole river from its source to its mouth. If I 
touch your feet, then I have touched you. If 
you go to the ocean and touch the water, you 
have touched the whole ocean. As fire is all- 
pervading but is more manifest in burning 
wood, so God, although He is all-pervading, is 
more manifest in His Incarnation. 

Girish (smiling) : I, for my part, am searching 
after fire. I am eagerly looking for the place 
where I shall find it. 

Ramakrishna (smiling) : The element fire is 
more manifest in the wood. If you seek the 
Seek God Divine element, you must seek it in 
in Man. man, for Divinity is more manifest 

in a human being than elsewhere. Again, if 
you see a man who is overflowing with Divine 
Love, who is mad after God, who is intoxicated 
by the wine of Divine Love, in that man you 
must know, I assure you, that the Lord has 

35 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

manifested Himself. It is true that God dwells 
everywhere, but His Divine power (Sakti) is 
more manifest in some places than in others. In 
the Avatara (God-Incarnate) the manifestation 
of Sakti is very great. Sometimes the mani- 
festation of this Divine power is complete and 
perfect. In fact Avatara means the incarna- 
tion of Sakti, the Divine Power. 

Girish: Narendra says: "He is beyond the 
reach of mind, words and senses." 

Ramakrishna: No, He is beyond the reach of 
impure mind only, but not of the purified mind 
(Manas). He cannot be apprehended by or- 
dinary intellect, but purified intellect (Buddhi) 
can comprehend Him. Mind and intellect be- 
come purified when they are absolutely free 
from attachment to lust and wealth (Kamini 
and Kanchan). Then purified mind and puri- 
fied intellect become one. Indeed God can be 
realized by the purified mind. Is it not true 
that the sages and saints have realized Him? 
They realized the Supreme Spirit in the Self by 
their true Self. 

Girish (smiling) : Narendra has been defeated 
by me in the discussion ! 

Ramakrishna: Oh no! On the contrary he 
says: "Girish has such firm faith in the Avatara 

353 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

in a human form that I feel that I should say 
nothing against it." 

The Bhagavan then expressed a desire to 
listen to the chanting of hymns. Balaram's 
drawing-room was filled with visitors. Every- 
one watched the Bhagavan, eager to hear what 
fell from His lips and to mark what He would do 
next. Tarapada was invited to sing, and sang 
a song describing the sports of the Shepherd of 
men, Sri Krishna. 

Suresh Mittra, another disciple, was seated 
at some distance from the Bhagavan. Sri 
Ramakrishna smiled on him affectionately and 
pointing to Girish, said to him: Do you talk of 
the wild life . that you did live at one time? 
Here is one very much more than your match. 

Suresh (laughing): That is indeed true, Re- 
vered Sir. He is my Dada (respected elder 
brother) in this regard. 

Girish (to the Bhagavan) : I never paid atten- 
tion to my studies in my boyhood. How is it, 
Revered Sir, that people insist on calling me 
learned? 

Ramakrishna: Do you know what I think 
about learning and the reading of the Scriptures ? 
Books and Sacred Scriptures all point the 
way to God. Once you know the way, what 

354 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is the use of books ? Now the time comes for 
Scriptures devotional practices in solitude. A 
and reaiiza- person had received a letter in which 
he was asked to send certain 
articles to his kinsmen. He was about to order 
the purchase of those things, when, looking for 
the letter, he found it was missing. He searched 
for a long time. His people also joined him in 
his search. At last the letter was found and his 
joy knew no bounds. With great eagerness he 
took it up and went through its contents. But 
after knowing what things were wanted, he 
threw the letter aside and set forth to collect 
the desired articles. How long does one care 
for such a letter ? So long as one does not know 
its contents. The next step is to put forth 
one's effort to procure the things. Similarly 
the Sacred Books only tell us the means for the 
realization of God. Having once known them, 
you should struggle hard to acquire them and 
reach the goal. What is the use of mere book- 
learning? A pandit may know many sacred 
texts and sciences, but if his mind is attached 
to the world, if he enjoys the pleasures of the 
senses, he has not realized the spirit of the 
Scriptures; he has studied them in vain. 

Ramakrishna then said to Girish: Narendra 
355 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

is a young man of very high order. He is inter- 
ested in everything, — singing, playing on mu- 
sical instruments, on the one hand, and in the 
study of the various branches of knowledge on 
the other. He possesses the virtues of self- 
mastery, right discrimination, dispassion and 
many other qualities. (Aside to a disciple) 
Just look at Girish's devotion to the Lord and 
his faith in Him, 

Naran,* to the Bhagavan: Revered Sir, shall 
we not have the pleasure of hearing Thee sing? 

Upon this the Bhagavan chanted the Name 
of the Divine Mother of the universe. 

Song 
The Beloved Mother of the Universe 
i. my soul, do thou clasp to thy heart my 
beloved Mother, 
Let thee and me alone have the pleasure of 

looking on Her; 
Let Her be seen by none else, by none else! 

2. Desires — Oh, get out of their way, my soul; 
let us enjoy Her presence alone. 
• Only let us have the tongue for our sole com- 
panion to cry out to Her, saying, " Mother, 
Mother!" 
* Naran was a young householder disciple of Ramakrishna. 
35 6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

3. There are evil desires, there are those which 
point to us the path leading to worldliness ; 
Oh! Do not let them come near us! 
Let the eye of wisdom that leads Godward 
keep watch, and guard us from evil. 

The Bhagavan then sang another song in 
which He placed Himself in the position of the 
weary and heavy-laden men of the world, bend- 
ing under the weight of their trials and suffer- 
ings : 

Song 
The Mother and Her Weary Children 

1. O Mother! Thou art made of Bliss Ever- 

lasting, why then is it denied unto me? 

2. My soul, O Good Mother, knows not any- 

thing but the Lotus of Thy Hallowed Feet. 

Why then does the Ruler of Death, the 
King of Justice, find fault with me? Tell 
me what answer to make to that dreaded 

. King. 

3. It was my heart's wish, O Mother, to repeat 

Thy Sacred Name and cross the ocean of 
death. Not even in my dream had I the 
least idea that I should be drowned by 
Thee in the shoreless ocean. 
357 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

4. Day and night, O Mother, Thou Consort 
of Eternity, have I been repeating Thy 
Sacred Name, which brings salvation unto 
Thy weary children. But alas! my end- 
less troubles will never leave me. I only 
regret that if I am not saved, no one else 
will ever repeat Thy Name. 

The Bhagavan next sang about the joy of 
the Divine Mother: 

Song 

The Great Mystery 

With Shiva the Mother plays always, absorbed 

in blissful joy. 
Deep drunk She is, but falls not. 

She dances on the breast of Her consort, 
The world quakes under the weight of Her feet. 
Both have reached the climax of madness; 
Both are fearless and free. 

The disciples listened to the songs in deep 
silence. What struck them was the change 
that had come over the Bhagavan. He was 
beside Himself with the joy of the Lord — in- 
toxicated with that unbounded Bliss. 

Twilight had fallen. The disciples would not 
358 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

leave their seats. With heads upraised and 
eager ears they listened to the sweet Name of 
the Lord chanted by the Bhagavan, sweeter as 
repeated by Him than by any whom they had 
ever heard before. Yes, they had never heard 
another child calling out so sweetly to its 
mother, saying, "Mother, Mother!" It seemed 
as if drops of nectar fell from the lips of the 
Bhagavan. The infinite sky, the heaven-kiss- 
ing mountain, the deep blue ocean, the bound- 
less expanse, the deep dense wilderness — what 
was the use now of going to them in quest of 
the Divine Father and Mother of the universe? 
What was the use of fixing -one's attention on 
the "cow's horn" or her feet or any other part 
of her body? The Master had spoken to-day of 
the udder of the cow from which to draw the 
milk of Divine Love. Was it indeed given to 
those present to behold the vision of God-In- 
carnate in that very room? What else could 
have brought into the hearts of the disciples — 
of those that were* weary and heavy-laden — 
the perfect peace and the joy that are of the 
Lord? What else could have made this vale of 
tears overflow with joy? Was it possible that 
the Man before them was God-Incarnate? 
Whether He was or not ; their minds and hearts 

359 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

and souls were His own to deal with just as He 
pleased! He was already to them the Pole- 
star of this enigmatical life. It was for them 
now to watch how in His great Soul the Su- 
preme Being, the Cause of causes, was reflected. 
Thus did some of the disciples think within 
themselves. They felt that they were truly 
blessed as they heard the Bhagavan chant the 
Name of the Divine Mother and of Hari, the 
Lord God who taketh away all trouble, all sin 
and iniquity. 

The chanting of the Names being over, the 
Bhagavan prayed to the Mother. It seemed as 
if the God of Love had taken a human form in 
order to teach man how to pray. He said : 

Mother, I throw myself upon Thy mercy. 
May the Lotus of Thy Feet ever keep me from 
Prayer to the whatever leadeth Thy children away 
Divine Mother. f rom Thee ! I seek not, good Mother, 
the pleasures of the senses; I seek not fame. 
Nor do I long for those Siddhis (Yoga powers) 
which enable one to perform miracles. What I 
pray for, Good Mother, is pure love for Thee, 
love untainted by desires, love without alloy, 
love which seeketh not the things of this world, 
love for Thee that welleth up unbidden from 
the depths of the immortal soul. Grant like- 

360 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

wise, Mother, that Thy child, bewitched by 
the fascinations of Thy enchanting powers 
(Maya) may not forget Thee; yes, forget Thee, 
entangled in the charming net of Samsara that 
Thou hast woven. O, grant that he may never 
be charmed into loving these ! O Good Mother, 
seest Thou not that Thy child hath none else in 
the world but Thee ? I know not how to chant 
Thy Name out of deep devotion. Devoid am I 
of knowledge that leadeth to Thee — devoid of 
genuine love (Bhakti) for Thee! O, vouchsafe 
unto me that love out of Thine Infinite Mercy! 
This evening prayer — was it called for in the 
case of this God-Man, for Him who chanted the 
Name of the Lord day and night, for Him out 
of whose hallowed mouth there flowed a never- 
ceasing stream of prayers unto the Most High? 
Was it then that the Master observed these 
forms in order to teach mankind how to live 
and pray? 

iii 

Girish had invited Sri Ramakrishna to his 
house. He must come that very night. The 
Bhagavan said to him: Do you not think it 
will be too late ? 

Girish: No, Revered Sir; Thou shalt come 
away as early as Thou pleasest. 

361 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

It was about nine in the evening. Balaram 
had made his offerings ready for Sri Rama- 
krishna's supper. The gracious Bhagavan 
would not wound his feelings. He said to 
Balaram: "Send over to Girish's house the 
food that you have prepared for me." Saying 
this, He set out, followed by His disciples. Go- 
ing downstairs from the first floor, He became 
like another being; He looked as if He was 
lost in the thought of God — as if He had drunk 
deep! It seemed as if sense-consciousness was 
beginning to leave Him. A disciple went for- 
ward to hold Him by the hand, lest He should 
miss His footing. The Bhagavan said to him 
with great tenderness : " If you hold me by the 
hand, people will say, 'He is a drunkard.' Let 
me walk alone without any help." He crossed 
the next turning just a little way from Girish's 
house. What made Him walk so fast? The 
disciples were left behind. No one knew what 
Divine idea had found its way into His heart. 
What made Him walk like a madman? Was it 
because He was thinking of that Being who in 
the Vedanta is said to be beyond the reach of 
word and thought ? 

Here was Narendra coming! Many a day 
had the Bhagavan cried, calling "Narendra, 

362 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Narendra," like one gone mad. But now Naren- 
Ramakrishna'sdra was there before Him and yet He 
ecstasy. exchanged no word with him. Was 

this what people called Bhava (ecstasy), a 
state into which Chaitanya is said to have 
been constantly thrown? Who was there 
to penetrate the mystery of this Divine 
ecstasy? 

Sri Ramakrishna had come to the end of the 
lane leading to Girish's house. The disciples 
were all following. He now spoke to Narendra, 
saying: "Is it well with you, my child? I had 
not the power then to talk to you." Every 
word that fell from His lips was marked by 
tenderness. He had not as yet come to the 
door of the house, but all at once He stopped 
short. He looked at Narendra and said: "This 
is one of the two, — the human soul, and the 
other is the cosmos." Was He indeed looking 
at the soul and the world? If so, in what light? 
He was gazing on Indescribable Brahman! 
One or two words had dropped from His hal- 
lowed lips, like some solemn texts from in- 
spired Scriptures. Or was it that He had gone 
to the edge of the Infinite Ocean and stood 
there speechless, looking on the Boundless Ex- 
panse, and had heard one or two echoes re- 

363 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

verberating from the never-ceasing voice that 
comes up from the Eternal Deep ? 

IV 

Girish stood at the door of his house. He 
had come to receive the Bhagavan. Sri Rama- 
krishna came up with His disciples. At the 
blessed sight Girish fell at His feet prostrate. 
The sight was indeed a blessed one and the dis- 
ciples looked on with awe and admiration. 
Girish received on his head the dust of His 
hallowed feet and rose at the Master's bidding. 
He led the way to the drawing-room, where the 
Bhagavan and His disciples took their seats. 
They longed to drink the nectar of His words 
which brought everlasting life. 

He was about to take His seat when He found 
a newspaper lying by His side. As newspapers 
had to do with worldly-minded men, with 
worldly matters, with gossip and scandal, they 
were unholy objects in His eyes. He made a 
sign and the paper was put away. Thereupon 
He took His seat. Nityagopal * bowed down 
and saluted His feet. 

* Nityagopal was a devoted Bhakta who reached a very 
high state of spiritual ecstasy (Bhava). He was a young 
man who lived like a Sannyasin, although he did not join 

364 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan (to Nitya): Well! and why did 
you not go there ? 

Nitya: Revered Sir, I was unable to go to 
Dakshineswara. I was out of sorts. There 
were pains all over my body. 

Bhagavan : Are you keeping well now ? 

Nitya: Not very well, I am sorry to say. 

Bhagavan: You would better remain one or 
two notes below the highest in the scale. 

Nitya: Company does not suit me. They 
say all manner of things of me. That puts me 
into a fright. At times I am quite free from 
fear and I feel the spirit within me. 

Bhagavan: That is only natural. Who is 
your constant companion ? 

Nitya: Tarak. At times he does not suit 
the state of my mind. 

Bhagavan: Nangta * (Tot a Puri) used to say 

the order. - Occasionally he used to come to Sri Rama- 
krishna to pay his respects and regarded Him as the Incarna- 
tion of Krisfrna. 

* Nangta was the name by which Sri Ramakrishna called 
his spiritual teacher in the Advaita Vedanta. The word 
literally means, "One who does not cover his body with 
any clothes." Tota Puri was his real name. He was a 
Sannyasin monk of Sankara's school and was a great Vedanta 
scholar. He reached the highest state of Nirvikalpa Samddhi 

3 6 5 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

that they had at their Math a Siddha who had 
acquired some miraculous powers. He used to 
go about with his eyes fixed on the sky, not 
caring for his companion Ganesh Gorgy, yet 
when he left him, he became disconsolate. 

By this time a change had come over the 
Bhagavan. He remained speechless for a while. 
Returning to consciousness, he said : 4t You have 
come, have you? Well, I am here too." Who 
was there to fathom the mystery of these divine 
words ! 



after practising for forty years. He used to travel from place 
to place in India, never spending more than three days in one 
spot. When he came to Dakshineswara he lived under the 
trees at the Panchavati and wore no clothes. After seeing 
Ramakrishna he desired to instruct Him in Advaita Vedanta. 
Ramakrishna like a child replied: "I shall ask my Divine 
Mother, and if She gives me Her permission I shall learn 
of you." The sage Tota, Puri was pleased with His answer. 
He then stayed with Ramakrishna for eleven months, which 
was quite unusual for him to do. He gave Him instructions 
on the oneness of the Jiva with Brahman, and within thre^ 
days Ramakrishna realized that supreme oneness by reaching 
the Nirvikalpa Samddhi. Seeing this state Tota Puri de- 
clared in utter amazement: "How wonderful is the Divine 
mystery! Thou hast acquired in three days what 1 ac- 
complished after forty years of hard struggle." Since then 
he regarded Ramakrishna as his Spiritual Brother. 

366 



I 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



Among the disciples who sat at the feet of 
Ramakrishna, Narendra did not believe in the 
Incarnation of God, while Girish had a burning 
faith that God incarnated Himself from age to 
age in this world of ours. The Bhagavan wished 
them to discuss the matter before Him. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish) : I should like to 
hear you both talk over the matter in English. 

The discussion was commenced. It was, 
however, carried on not in English but in Ben- 
gali, with here and there an English word. 

Narendra: God is Infinite; it is beyond our 

power to conceive Him by means of our poor 

intellect. God is in every human 

God manifest. . 

being, but He is not manifest in one 
particular individual. 

The Bhagavan (affectionately) : I quite con- 
cur. He is in every object, in every human 
being; only there is a difference in the mani- 
festation of Divine Energy in those objects. 
The Divine Energy manifest in some objects 
leads one away from God and is then called 
Avidya (ignorance). When it leads Godward 
it is called Vidya. Again, the manifested 

3 6 7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

energy is greater in some vessels and less in 
others. Thus it is that all men are not 
equal. 

A disciple: What is the use of all this idle 
talk? 

Bhagavan: There is a great deal of use 
in it. 

Girish (to Narendra) : How do you know that 
God does not take a human body, does not in- 
carnate Himself? 

Narendra: Oh! God is surely beyond the 
reach of words and the finite mind! 

Ramakrishna: Quite so; beyond the finite 
impure mind. But He can be realized by the 
God realized purified intellect (Buddhi). Purified 
by purified intellect and purified soul are one 
The holy sages (Rishis) realized the 
pure universal Spirit by their purified intellect 
and purified soul. 

Girish (to Narendra) : If God does not incar- 
nate Himself in a human form, who will ex- 
plain these difficult problems? He assumes 
human form to teach mankind Divine Wisdom 
and Divine Love. Who else has the power to 
teach in the same manner? 

Narendra: Why, He will certainly teach me 
wHhin the heart. 

368 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Bhagavan (affectionately) : That is indeed 
so. He will teach as internal Ruler of the 
heart (Antaryamin). 

The discussion grew warm. It turned on 
matters too high for ordinary comprehension: 
Was Infinity indivisible? What did Hamilton 
say as to the limit of human knowledge; and 
Herbert Spencer, Tyndall and Huxley? 

Ramakrishna : I for my part do not like these 
things. God is beyond the power of reasoning; 
He is something more. I see that whatever is, 
is God. What then is the necessity of reason- 
ing about Him? I do actually see that what- 
ever is, is God. It is He who has become all 
these things. This is a stage at which the mind 
and the intellect (Buddhi) are lost in the Ab- 
solute and Indivisible Being. At the sight of 
Narendra my mind becomes merged in the In- 
divisible Absolute. What, pray, do you say to 
this? 

Girish (smiling) : Surely, Revered Sir, we do 
not pretend that we understand everything 
except this. 

Ramakrishna: Thereupon at the end of 
Samadhi I must come down two notes at least 
below the highest note in the scale before I can 
utter a word. Vedanta has been explained by 

3 6 9 

\ 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Sankara.* Another point of view is that of 
Ramanuja, f who has put forward the doctrine 
of qualified non-dualism. 

Narendra (to the Bhagavan) : Sir, may I ask 
what is meant by Visishtadvaitavada (qualified 
non-dualism) ? 

Ramakrishna: There is a doctrine called 
Visishtadvaitavada, the view of Ramanuja; 
Qualified non- that is, the Absolute (Brahman) 
dualism. must not be considered apart from 

the world and the soul. The three form one: 
three in one and one in three. Let us take a 
Bel-fruit. Let the shell, the seeds and the ker- 
nel be kept separate. 'Now suppose some one 
wished to know the weight of the fruit. Surely 

* Sankara, see note p. 279. 

f Ramanuja was the founder of the Visishtadvaita, or 
Qualified Non-dualistic School of Vedanta. He was born about 
1017 A.D. at Sri Parambattur, a town near Madras in 
Southern India. He is regarded by His followers as the 
incarnation of Sesha or Ananta. He wrote Sanskrit Com- 
mentaries on the Upanishads, Vedanta Sutras and the 
Bhagavat Gita, and preached His doctrines all over India. 
He is said to have lived for one hundred and twenty years 
and died in 1137 a.d. His doctrines were distinct from the 
Absolute Monistic philosophy of Sankaracharya. He has 
now millions of followers among all classes of Hindus in 
India. 

37o 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

it would not do to weigh the kernel alone. The 
shell, the seeds and the kernel are all weighed 
with a view to knowing the real weight of the 
fruit. No doubt we reason at the outset that 
the all-important thing is the kernel — not either 
the shell or the seeds. In the next place, we go 
on reasoning that the shell and the seeds belong 
to the same substance to which the kernel be- 
longs. At the first stage of the reasoning we 
say, "Not this, not this." Thus the Absolute 
(Brahman) is not the individual soul. Again, 
it is not the phenomenal world. The Absolute 
(Brahman) is the only Reality, all else is unreal. 
At the next stage we go a little farther. We 
see that the kernel belongs to the same sub-, 
stance as that to which the shell and the seeds 
belong; hence the Substance from which we 
derive our negative conception of the Absolute 
Brahman is the identical Substance from which 
we derive our negative conceptions of the finite 
soul and the phenomenal world. Our relative 
phenomena (Lila) must be traced to that eternal 
Being which is also called the Absolute Hence, 
says Ramanuja, the Absolute (Brahman) is 
qualified by the finite soul and the phenomenal 
world. This is the doctrine of the qualified non- 
dualistic Vedanta. 

371 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

I see that Being as a Reality before my very 

eyes ! Why should I reason ? I do actually see 

that the Absolute has become all 

Spiritual . 

awakening things about us. It appears as the 
necessary to individual soul and the phenomenal 

see the Reality. 

world. One must have an awaken- 
ing of the spirit within to see the Reality. How 
long must one reason and discriminate, saying, 
"Not this, not this"? So long as one has not 
realized the Absolute Reality. It is not in 
mere words such as "I see that God has become 
everything"; mere saying is not enough. By 
the Lord's Grace the spirit must be quickened. 
Spiritual awakening is followed by Samadhi. 
In this state one forgets that one has a body; 
one loses all attachment to things of this world ; 
one likes no other words than those relating to 
God; one is sorely troubled if called upon to 
listen to worldly matters. The spirit within 
being awakened, the next step is the realization 
of the Universal Spirit. It is the spirit that 
can realize the Spirit. 

After the discussion was over the Bhagavan 
said: I have observed that discrimination 
brings only intellectual apprehension of the Ab- 
solute, which is far from true realization. The 
latter can be acquired by meditation in solitude 

372 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

(Dhyana) ; but it is very different from realiza- 
tion through His Grace. If He, out 

Intellectual r TT . ~ , A 

apprehension of His Grace, makes us realize what 
andreaiiza= [ s God-Incarnate and how He 

manifests through a human form, 
then it is no longer necessary to reason or ex- 
plain. Do you know how it is? As in a dark 
room someone rubs a match on the side of the 
box and all at once a light is struck. So, if 
the Lord is gracious enough to strike the light 
for us, the darkness of ignorance will be dis- 
pelled and all doubts will cease forever. Can 
He be realized by such discussions? 

The Bhagavan then invited Narendra 
to be seated by His side. He made many 
loving inquiries about him and caressed 
him. 

Narendra: Why, Revered Sir, I have medi- 
tated in solitude on the Divine Mother for three 
and four days together, but nothing has come 
of it. 

Bhagavan: All in time; do not be impatient. 
Mother is no other than Brahman the Absolute. 
Divine Mother is the primeval energy, when 
that is without activity I call it Brahman. But 
when it creates, preserves and destroys the 
phenomenal world I call it Sakti (energy), or 

373 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Divine Mother. That which you call Brah- 
man is the same as my Divine Mother. (To 
Girish) It is getting late. 

Girish: I am afraid I shall have to leave 
Thee, Revered Sir, and go to my work, unfor- 
tunate that I am ! 

Bhagavan: No, you must serve both parties. 
Janaka served God unattached to the world 
and thus looked to the interests of both this 
world and the next ; he drank the cup of milk 
but did not forget the soul. 

Girish : I am thinking, Revered Sir, of giving 
up my profession. 

Bhagavan: No, no; you need not do any 
such thing. It is all right as it is. You are 
doing good to many. 

Narendra (softly): Just a moment ago he 
was addressing Him as Lord, God-Incarnate, 
yet he still has such strong attachment to his 
professional work. 

The Bhagavan had Narendra seated by his 
side. He fixed His eyes on him. He moved 
down to sit closer to him. Narendra did not 
believe that God incarnated Himself, but what 
did that signify? His love for him was still as 
great as ever. Touching his person the Bha- 
gavan said to him: Are your feelings wounded? 

374 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Never mind; we, too, are of the same mind 
with you and feel for you. 

Bhagavan continued: So long as one reasons 
and argues about God, one has not realized Him. 
Disputations You both were en g a ged in discussion. 
prevent reaii- I did not like it. How long does the 
zation o o . no j se con tinue at a feast to which 
many are bidden? So long as the guests have 
not begun to eat. As soon as the viands are 
served and they begin to partake of them, 
three-fourths of the noise is gone. Then the 
more the sweetmeats are passed around, the 
more the noise subsides. The nearer you come 
to God, the less you are disposed to argue. 
When you come up to Him, when you behold 
Him as the Reality, then all noise, all disputa- 
tions are at an end. Then is the time for the 
enjoyment which comes in Samddhi. 

Saying this, the Bhagavan gently moved His 
hand over Narendra's sweet face and caressed 
him, repeating, "Hari Om, Hari Om, Hari Om." 

Then what a miracle passed before the eyes 
of the disciples! Looking at the Bhagavan, 
they saw His sense-consciousness beginning to 
leave Him. Looking again, they saw that it 
had left Him altogether. In this half -conscious 
state the hand of the Incarnation of Divine 

375 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Love continued to rest on Narendra's body. 
Was He breathing into him the inspiration, the 
power that comes from above ? Then yet other 
changes came over the Bhagavan. He said to 
Narendra, with folded hands: A song do sing, 
then I shall get well; how else shall I be able 
to stand on my feet. "My Nitai! Oh! He is 
deep drunk, intoxicated with the wine of 
Divine Love, the love for Gouranga (God- 
Incarnate)." 

A short while and He was speechless again, 
speechless like a figure cut in marble. Drunk 
with the joy of the Lord, the Bhagavan went 
on, saying: "Take care of Radha, lest thou fall 
into the Jamuna. O thou, mad with ecstatic 
love for Him who incarnated Himself at Brin- 
davan, the Lord Sri Krishna!" Once more He 
was in deep Samdhdi! Coming back into sense- 
consciousness he repeated portions of a well- 
known song: "O my friend, how far is that 
blessed woodland, the land where is to be seen 
my own Beloved One? Look! Here comes 
the fragrance from the blessed person of my 
Beloved! I am unable to take a step forward, 
O my friend!" 

Now the Bhagavan had lost all consciousness 
of the world. He was not mindful of anything 

376 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

or any person in this state. Narendra was 
seated before Him, but apparently He did not 
see him. He had lost all sense of time and 
place. The mind, the heart and the soul had 
all become absorbed in God. Suddenly He 
stood up, saying: "Deep drunk with the wine 
of Divine Love, with love for Gour (God-Incar- 
nate)." A few moments after He took His 
seat and said: "Yonder is a light coming this 
way, but I cannot even now say from which 
way the light comes." It was then that Naren- 
dra began to sing: 

God-Vision 

i. Lord! Thou hast blessed me with Thy 
vision and Thou hast driven all my troubles 
away. 
A charm Thou hast thrown over my soul. 

2. Beholding Thee as the Reality, the seven 
worlds have forgotten their grief! 
Not to speak of my poor self, so worthy of 
Thy pity and Thy loving-kindness! 

Listening to the song the Bhagavan had once 
more lost all consciousness of the outer world. 
His eyes were closed. His body and limbs 
moved not He was in deep Samddhi. When 

377 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the Samddhi was over he asked: "Who will 
take me home to the temple? " A child looking 
for a companion! Left alone, he saw nothing 
• but darkness about. It was getting late and it 
was the night of the tenth day of the dark fort- 
night. Sri Ramakrishna wished to go back to 
the Temple at Dakshineswara. He seated Him- 
self in the carriage which was to take Him there. 
The disciples stood on either side of the carriage 
to see Him off. Even now was He deep drunk 
with the joy of the Lord! The carriage rolled 
away. The disciples looked after it for a few 
moments, then dispersed each to his own home. 

378 



CHAPTER XIII 

A DAY AT SHAMPUKUR 

Sri Ramakrishna was living at Shampukur 
at the request of His householder disciples, who 
had hired a house for Him there. 

It was about half-past five in the afternoon 
of a day in October. Vivekananda, Brahma- 
nanda, Ramakrishnananda, Saradananda, Abhe- 
dananda and other disciples w 7 ere with Sri 
Ramakrishna. The great national festival Dur- 
gapuja had been celebrated only a few days 
back, but it was difficult for the disciples to 
take part in the festivities with their whole 
heart. How could they rejoice when their 
Master was suffering from a serious malady? 
Their one thought was to serve Him, to nurse 
Him, to attend to His smallest wants day and 
night This devoted and unparalleled service 
of the Master led the way for the younger dis- 
ciples (Vivekananda and others) to the great 

379 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

renunciation of the world of which Bhagavan 
Sri Ramakrishna was the ideal example. 
Through their intense love for the Master they 
left their homes and sacrificed the duties and 
pleasures of life that they might give their whole 
soul to His service. 

Notwithstanding His illness, hundreds of 
people came every day to pay reverential 
homage to Him. They were eager to receive 
His blessing and to sit in His presence if only 
for a few minutes; for His presence brought 
peace and celestial happiness in the hearts and 
souls of all. Who had ever seen such un- 
bounded compassion? He was anxious for the 
welfare of all those who came to Him and was 
ever ready to help them by removing their 
doubts and opening their spiritual eyes. This 
was the time when Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna 
showed to the world that He was not a man of 
this earth, but an embodiment of Infinite Love 
Divine. 

His charm and fascination were so great that 
everyone who came into His presence would 
lose the consciousness of time and place. Even 
men like Dr. Sircar,* who was the busiest phy- 

* Dr. Mehendra lal Sircar was the best Hindu physician 

380 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

sician in Calcutta and who usually spent a few 
moments only with each patient, would remain 
with the Bhagavan hours together and some- 
times the whole day. He had just now been 
paying Sri Ramakrishna a long visit. Rising 
to go, he said to the Bhagavan, who was con- 
versing with Syam Babu:* "Now that you 
have Syam Babu to talk to, I will bid you 
good-bye." 

Sri Ramakrishna: Would you not like to 
hear some songs ? 

Doctor : I should like it very much ; but your 
feelings will be too much worked upon and you 
will go off into a state of ecstasy. 

The doctor took his seat once more, and 
Vivekananda sang to the accompaniment of 
instruments : 



in Calcutta at that time. He was a great authority in medical 
science and his opinion carried weight among the European 
physicians of highest repute. He was also the founder of 
the Science Association in Calcutta, where he occasionally 
delivered scientific lectures on Physics and Chemistry. 

* Syam Babu was a rich Hindu of Calcutta and an intimate 
friend of Dr. Sircar. 

381 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

God and His Works 

i. Wonderful, infinite, is the universe made by 
Thee! Behold it is the repository of all 
beauty. 

2. Thousands of stars do shine — a necklace of 

gold studded with gems. Innumerable 
are the moons and suns. 

3. The earth is adorned with wealth and corn: 

full indeed is Thy storehouse. O Great 
Lord! Innumerable are the stars which 
sing, "Well done, Lord! well done! ,, 
They sing without ceasing. 

Kali, the Mother of the Universe 

1. In the midst of the dense darkness, O Mother, 

breaketh forth the light of Thy formless 
beauty. 
For this the Yogi meditateth in the moun- 
tain cave. 

2. In the lap of darkness infinite and borne on 

the sea of great Nirvana, 
The fragrance of peace everlasting floweth 
without ceasing. 

3. O Mother! who art Thou, seated alone within 

the Temple of Sdmadhi, assuming the form 
of the Great Consort of the Lord of Eter- 
382 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

nity, and wearing the apparel of dark- 
ness? 

The lotus of Thy feet keepeth us from fear, 
in them doth flash the lightning of Thy 
love for Thy children; 

And loud laughter adorneth Thy spiritual face. 

Doctor (to Vivekananda) : It is dangerous 
for Him — this singing. It will work upon His 
feelings with serious results. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Vivekananda) : What 
does the doctor say? 

Vivekananda: Sir, the doctor is afraid lest 
this singing bring on ecstasy (Bhdva-Samddhi) . 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the doctor, with folded 
hands): No, oh no; why should my feelings be 
worked upon? I am very well. 

But as soon as these words were uttered, the 
Bhagavan, who was already losing sense-con- 
sciousness, went into deep Samddhi. His body 
became motionless. The eyes moved not. He 
sat speechless like a veritable figure of wood or 
stone. All sense-consciousness had ceased to 
be. The mind, the principle of personal iden- 
tity, the heart, had all stepped out of their 
wonted course towards that One Object, the 
Mother of the Universe. 

383 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Again did Vivekananda pour forth with his 
sweet, charming voice melody after melody. 
He sang: 

The Lord, My Husband 
i. How glorious is the beauty! How charming 
is the face! The Lord of my heart hath 
come to my (humble) abode. 

2. Lo! the spring of my love is running over 

(with joy) ! 

3. O Lord of my soul! Thou who art pure love, 

what riches can I offer to Thee? O, accept 
my heart, my life, my all. Yes, Lord, my 
all deign to accept! 

Nothing Good or Beautiful Without the 
Lord 

1. What comfort can there be in life, O gracious 

Lord! 
If the bee of soul doth not always linger on 
Thy lotus -feet! 

2. What use can there be in countless wealth, 
If Thou, the most precious gem, art not kept 

with care! 

3. The tender face of the child I will not look 

upon, 
If in that face, lovely as the moon, I see not 
Thy loving face ! 

384 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

4. How beautiful the moonlight! Yet I see 

darkness alone, if at moonrise the moon of 
Thy love doth not also rise in my soul. 

5. Even the pure love of the chaste wife will 

seem impure, if the gold of her love be not 
set with the gem of Thy love Divine. 

6. Lord, like the sting of a poisonous snake is 

dqubt of Thee, the offspring of ignorance. 

7. Lord, what more shall I say to Thee! 

Thou art the priceless Jewel of my heart, the 
Abode of joy everlasting! 

Vivekananda sang again : 

The Ecstatic Love of God 

When shall Love Divine enter my heart! 
Having all desires fulfilled, when shall I chant 

the Name of the Lord (Hari) while streams of 

love-tears flow from my eyes!' 
When shall my heart and soul be pure ! O, when 

shall I go to the Vrindavan of love! When 

will the fetters of the world drop off, and the 

darkness of my eyes be dispelled by the 

collyrium of wisdom ! 
When shall the iron of my body be changed 

into gold by Thy touch Divine! 
385 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

When shall I see the world pervaded by God 

alone, and prostrate myself in the path of 

Love Divine! 
When shall my religious works and daily duties 

be a thing of the past' When shall my sense 

of caste and family be gone! 
O, when shall I rise above fear, anxiety and 

shame ! 
When shall I be free from pride and social 

customs ! 
With the dust of the feet of true Bhaktas rubbed 

over my body ; 
With the script of renunciation placed on my 

shoulders, when shall I drink in both hands 

the water from the river of Love Divine ! 

Sri Ramakrishna had a special liking for this 
hymn from the Hindustani of Zaffir, the Sufi 
poet: 

Hymn 
Thou art the refuge and joy of my heart. 

All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art; 
Only in Thee have I found my Beloved, 

All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

Thou art the dwelling of all Thy creatures. 

Where Thou abidest not can there be one heart, 
386 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

In each heart surely Thy Presence has entered ; 
All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

Either in men or angels triumphant, either in 

Hindu or Mussulman Thou art ! 
Thy holy will has made everything like Thee ; 

All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

Whether Mohammedan temples or Hindu, 
Perfectly pure has Thy touch made each part. 

All heads before Thee have bowed in devotion; 
All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

From the high heavens to earth spread before us, 
From the vast earth to the heavens Thou art, 

Wherever I look to my sight Thou appearest ; 
All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

Thinking and pondering I have seen clearly, 
Searching I have found not another as Thou 
art; 

Now in the mind of the poet has come that, 
All that is Thou art, all in all Thou art. 

In the midst of the songs Sri Ramakrishna had 
come to Himself again. The music was hushed. 
Then followed conversation with the Bhagavan, 

3&7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

which was always charming alike to the learned 
and the illiterate, to the old and the young, to 
men and women, to the great and the lowly. 
The whole company sat mute and looked in 
silence on His Divine face. Was there any 
trace now of that serious illness from which He 
was suffering?. Joy alone was there, and 
radiance of celestial glory. Turning to the 
doctor, Sri Ramakrishna began : 

Do give up shyness, doctor. One should not 

be shy in repeating before others the Name of 

the Lord, or in dancing with * joy 

obstacles in while chanting His sweet name. Do 

the way of no ^- care w hat people may say. 

perfection. . _L 

There is a proverb : ' Three obstacles 
lie in the way of perfection, — shyness, contempt 
and fear." The shy man thinks: "I, who am 
so important, how can I dance in the name of 
the Lord ? What will other great people say if 
they hear of it?" They may say: "What a 
shame! The poor doctor has lost his head! 
He has danced while chanting the Name 
of the Lord!" Give up all such foolish 
ideas. 

Doctor: That is not my line at all. I do not 
care what people say. 

Sri Ramakrishna (smiling) : On the contrary, 
388 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

you do care very much. Go beyond knowledge 
True know 1= an< ^ ignorance, then you will realize 
edge and God. Knowledge of diversity is ig- 
ignorance. n0 rance. The egotism bred of erudi- 
tion proceeds from ignorance. That knowledge 
by which we know that God exists everywhere 
is true knowledge. But to know Him inti- 
mately is realization (Vijnana). 

Suppose your foot is pierced with a thorn, 

you require a second thorn to take it out. 

When the first thorn is taken out 

Realization. ,...,?■• •.. 

you throw both away, bo in order 
to get rid of the thorn of ignorance you must 
bring the thorn of knowledge. Then you must 
throw away both ignorance and knowledge to 
attain to the complete realization of God, the 
Absolute, for the Absolute is above and beyond 
knowledge as well as ignorance. Lakshman 
once said to his Divine Brother: "O Rama, is 
it not strange that a God-knowing man like 
Vashishta Deva should have wept for the loss 
of his sons and would not be comforted?" 
Thereupon Rama replied: "He who has knowl- 
Knowiedge edge has also some ignorance. He 
is relative. w j 10 h as knowledge of one object 
has also the knowledge of many objects. He 
who has the knowledge of light has also the 

389 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

knowledge of darkness, but Brahman the Abso- 
lute is beyond knowledge and ignorance and 
above virtue and vice, merit and demerit, purity 
and impurity." 

Syam Babu : Sir, may I ask what remains after 
both thorns are thrown away? 

Sri Ramakrishna: What remains is the Abso- 
lute, called in the Vedas Nityasuddha-bodha- 
The Absolute rupam (the unchangeable, the abso- 
Brahman. lately pure source of all knowledge). 
But how shall I explain it to you? Suppose 
some one asks you what is the taste of Ghee 
(clarified butter) like ? Is it possible to define 
it ? The utmost that you can say is that it is pre- 
cisely like the taste of Ghee. A young girl once 
asked a friend: " Your husband is come: tell me 
what sort of joy you feel when you meet him?" 
Thereupon the married friend replied: "My 
dear, you will know everything when you have 
got a husband of your own; how can I explain 
it to you?" 

In the Puranas we are told that the Mother 
of the Universe incarnated Herself as the 
daughter of the presiding god of the Himalayas. 
Just after she was born, the king of the moun- 
tains was blessed with a vision of the various 
manifestations of the Omnipotent Mother. 

39° 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA ' 

Then he said: "O Mother! Let me see Brahman 
about whom there is so much in the Vedas " 
The child Incarnate thereupon said: "O father 
if thou wishest to see the Absolute Brahman 
thou must associate with the holy sages who 
have renounced everything. What the Abso- 
lute Brahman is cannot be expressed in words." 
The Tantra has well said: "All things with the 
sole exception of God the Absolute, have be- 
come defiled like leavings of food." The idea 
is that the Sacred Scriptures of the world having 
been read and recited with the aid of the tongue 
have got defiled like food thrown out of the 
mouth. The Absolute Brahman, however, no 
one has ever been able to describe by word of 
mouth. Therefore it is said that the Absolute 
is not defiled by the mouth. Again, who can 
express in words the blissful joy that one ex- 
periences in the company of the Lord and in 
communion with the Absolute Sot-Chit- Ananda. 
He alone knows who has been blessed with such 
realization. 

Addressing the doctor, Sri Ramakrishna con- 
tinued: True knowledge does not come until 
egotism is entirely gone. 

"When shall I be free?" When "I" shall 
cease to be. The sense of "I" and "mine" is 

39i 



CxOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ignorance. The sense of ''Thou" and " Thine " 
Egotism and is knowledge. A true Bhaktasays: 
knowledge. <<q Lord! Thou art the doer, 
Thou hast created everything, I am nothing 
but an instrument in Thy hands, I do only 
Prayer of a whatever Thou makest me do. All 
true Bhakta. t fcs i s Thy wealth, Thy glory. Thine 
is the Universe, Thine the family, Thine the 
relatives. Nothing belongs to me, I am Thy 
servant. Thine is to command and mine is to 
serve Thee with my whole heart and soul." 

Egotism comes to all those who have studied 
a few books and have acquired a little learning. 
I had a talk with Tagore * about the 
nature of God. He said to me: "I 
know all about it." I replied: "He who has 
been to Delhi does not go about telling others 
'I have been to Delhi' and so on. He who is a 
true gentleman does not boast of being a 
gentleman." 

Syam Babu: Sir, Tagore has great respect foi 

you. 

Sri Ramakrishna: My dear sir, shall I tell you 
of the vanity of the sweeper-woman in the tem- 
ple at Dakshineswara? She had a few orna- 



*Devendra Nath Tagore. See note p. 211 
39 2 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

ments on her person and she was so vain that 
whenever she walked along the road, 

Vanity. . & ' 

if she found anyone near she would 
shout: "Get out of my way! Get out of my 
way!" What shall I say about the vanity of 
wealthy people of higher castes ! 

A devotee: If God is the one Actor in the 
Universe, then whence come good and evil, 
virtue and vice? Do they exist by His 
will? 

Sri Ramakrishna : In this world of relativity, 
good and evil, virtue and vice, exist, but they 
The Lord ^° nat touch the Lord. God is un- 
untouched by attached to them — like the wind 

good and evil. wh{ch . g unaffected by the good Qr 

bad odor which it carries. His creation is of 
dual nature, consisting of good and evil, real 
and unreal. As among trees there are some 
which bear good fruits, others poisonous, so 
among human beings there are good men and 
wicked, sinful men. Wicked people have their 
place in the world. Do you not see that wicked 
people are necessary to govern the law-breakers 
and evil-doers of a community? 

Syam Babu: Sir, we are told on the one hand 
that man is punished for his sins, and on the 
other that God is the sole Actor, all creatures 

393 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKR1SHNA 

being humble instruments in His hands. How 
shall we reconcile these two things? 

Sri Ramakrishna: You talk like a gold -mer- 
chant weighing things with his delicate balance. 

Vivekananda: What the Bhagavan means to 
Calculating say is that you are talking like one 
intellect. w j 10 h as a calculating intellect. 

Sri Ramakrishna : I say, O Podo, eat these man- 
goes! What is the use of counting how many 
mango-trees there are in the garden, how many 
thousands of branches, 'how many millions of 
leaves, and so on ? You are here to eat the man- 
goes. Eat them and go away. (To Syam Babu) 
You have come into this world to realize God 
by means of religious works. Your first effort 
should be to acquire love (Bhakti) for the lotus 
feet of the Almighty. Why do you trouble 
yourself with other things? What will you 
gain by discussing philosophy? Do you not 
see that four ounces of wine are quite enough 
to intoxicate you? Why do you then inquire 
how many barrels of wine there are in the wine- 
shop? Of what use is such vain calcula- 
tion? 

Doctor: God's wine, again, is beyond all 
measure. The supply can never be exhausted. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Syam Babu) : Further- 

394 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

more, why do you not execute a power of attor- 
Lay cares ney in favor of the Lord? Let all 
on God. your cares and responsibilities rest 

on Him. If any one trusts an honest man, will 
that man do any wrong? God alone knows 
whether He will punish sinful acts or not. 

Doctor: He alone knows what is in His mind. 
How can man surmise it? He is beyond all 
human calculation. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Syam Babu) : You peo- 
ple of Calcutta always find fault with Divine 
Justice. You often complain that God is par- 
tial because he makes one happy and another 
unhappy. You foolish people see in God the 
same nature as your own. Hem used to come 
to Dakshineswara with his friends. Whenever 
he saw me he would say : " Sir, there is only one 
thing worth having in this world and that is 
honor, is it not so?" Very few understand 
that the end of human life is to attain God. 

Syam Babu: Sir, is it possible for anyone to 
show the subtle body? Can anyone 
show that the subtle body goes out 
of the gross body? 

Sri Ramakrishna : Those who are true Bhak- 
tas will not care to show you all this. They do 
not care in the least whether fools will respect 

395 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

them or not. They do not seek the favor of 
rich people. 

Syam Babu: Well, Sir, what is the difference 
between the gross body and the subtle body? 

Sri Ramakrishna : This physical body made 
of gross elements is called the gross body. Ma- 
nas (mind), the Buddhi (intellect), Ahamkara 
(egoism) and Chitta, all these are in the subtle 
body, The inner body which feels the joy of 
the Lord and' Divine ecstasy is called Kdrana 
Sarira (causal body). The Tantras call it 
Bh&gavat-Tanu, or the body derived from the 
Divine Mother. Beyond these is the Maha- 
karana, the first Great Cause. It is the fourth 
state. It cannot be expressed by words. 

What is the use of hearing all this ? Practise 
and you will know. You repeat the words 
The impor= ' ' Siddhi, Siddhi ' ' (hemp-leaves) . Will 
tanceof that make you drunk ? No, you must 
practice. swallow some. There are threads of 
various numbers, No. 40, No. 41, and so on; 
but you do not know one number from another 
unless you are in the trade. It is by no means 
hard for those in the trade to know a particular 
number from that of another number. That 
being so, I say, practise a little. That done, it 
will be easy for you to have correct ideas as to 

39 6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the gross body, the subtle body, the Karana 
(the causal body made of joy) and the Maha- 
karana (the Great Cause or the Unconditioned). 

When you pray, ask for Bhakti, devotion to 
His Lotus Feet. After Ahalya* was made free 
from the curse called down upon her by her 
husband, Rama Chandra said: "Ask for a boon 
from me." Ahalya replied: "O Rama, if Thou 
wilt give me a boon, do Thou grant that my 
mind may ever be on Thy feet beautiful like 
the lotus. O, I may be born among swine, but 
that will not matter.' ' 

For my part, I pray for love (Bhakti) alone 
to my Divine Mother. Putting flowers upon 
Prayer for Her Lotus Feet, with folded hands I 
Bhakti. prayed: "Mother, here is ignorance, 

here is knowledge. Oh! Take them; I want 
them not. Grant that I may have pure love 
alone. Here is cleanliness (of the mind and 
body), here # is uncleanliness ; what shall I do 
with them? Let me have pure love alone. 

* Ahalya, wife of the great logician, the sage Goutama. 
She was a devoted wife, but the villainy of her seducer, who 
personated her husband, made her unchaste. Hence the 
curse, the effect of which was, it is said, that she was turned 
into stone. The touch of Rama Chandra made her human 
once more. 

397 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Oh! Here is sin, here is merit; I want neither 
the one nor the other. Let me have pure love 
alone. Here is good, here is evil. Oh! Take 
them; I want them not. Let me have pure 
love alone. Here are good works, here are bad 
works. Oh! Place me above them; I want 
them not. Grant that I may have pure love 
alone. " 

If you take the fruit of good works, like char- 
ity, you must take the fruit of bad works also. 
Dual If you take the fruit of merit, you 

existence must take the fruit of sin also. 
Knowledge of the One (Jnana) implies knowl- 
edge of the many (Ajnana). Taking cleanli- 
ness, you cannot get rid of its opposite, unclean - 
liness. Thus a knowledge of light implies a 
knowledge of darkness, its opposite. A knowl- 
edge of unity implies a knowledge of diver- 
sity. # 

Blessed is the man who loves God! What 
matters it if he eats the flesh of swine ? On the 
Animal food °ther hand, if a man lives upon vege- 
and vegeta- tables but is attached to the world 
and does not love God, what good 
shall he gain? 

(To Syam Babu) To live the life of a house- 
holder is by no means wrong. But take care 

398 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

that you work without attachment, with your 
Work with m hid always pointing to the Feet 
the mind fixed of the Lord. Suppose a person has 
a carbuncle on the back. Now this 
man talks as usual. Perhaps he attends to his 
daily work. But pain constantly puts him in 
mind of the carbuncle. In the same way, al- 
though you are in the world, you should turn 
your mind constantly to God. A woman 
carrying on an intrigue with a lover thinks of 
this lover all the time that she is attending to 
her household duties. Live in the world like 
such a woman, doing your many duties with 
your soul secretly yearning for the Lord. 

Syam Babu: Sir, what do you think of 
Theosophy? 

Sri Ramakrishna: The long and 
the short of the matter is that people who 
make disciples belong to an inferior order 
of men. Again, those who seek for powers 
also belong to an inferior class, such powers, 
for example, as the power of getting across the 
Ganges or the power of reporting here what a 
person is talking about in a far country, and 
other psychic powers. It is by no means easy 
for such people to get pure Bhakti (love) for 

the Lord. 

399 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Syam Babu: But, Sir, the Theosophists seek 
to put Hinduism once more on a firm basis. 

Sri Ramakrishna: That may be. I am not 
well posted as to their views or doings. 

Syam Babu: Questions like the following are 
dealt with in Theosophy. What region is the 
soul bound for after death — the lunar sphere or 
the stellar mansions ? 

Sri Ramakrishna: I dare say. But let me 
give you an idea of my way of thinking. Some- 
body put it to Hanuman, the great lover of God, 
"What day of the lunar fortnight is it?" Ha- 
numan replied: "My dear sir, excuse me. I 
know nothing about the days of the week, the 
day of the lunar fortnight, or the stars telling 
of the destiny on a particular day. That is not 
my concern. I meditate on Rama and on 
Rama alone." 

Syam Babu: Sir, the Theosophists believe in 
Mahatmas. May I ask whether you hold that 
Mahatmas are real beings? 

Sri Ramakrishna: If you care to take my 
word for truth, I say "Yes." But will you be 
good enough to let these matters alone? Come 
when I am better. Do but put faith in my 
words and I shall see that you find peace. Do 
you not observe that I do not take either money 

400 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

or clothes or any other thing ? In some theatri- 
cal representations well-to-do visitors are ex- 
pected to encourage the actors by gifts of money 
during the performance. Here people are not 
called upon to make such gifts. This is why so 
many come here. 

(To the Doctor) What I have to say to you 
is this — but do not take offence! You have 
had enough of the things of the world, money, 
fame, lectures, and so on. Now give your 
mind a little to God, and come here now and 
then. It is good to listen to words relating to 
God. Such words enlighten the soul and turn 
it to the Lord. 

A short while after the Doctor stood up to 
say good-bye. But just then Girish came in, and 
the Doctor was so glad to see him that he took 
his seat again. Girish, stepping forward, sa- 
luted the Bhagavan and kissed the dust of His 
hallowed feet. The Doctor watched all this in 
silence. 

Doctor: So long as I was here, Girish Babu 
was not good enough to come. He must come 
just as I am about to go. 

There was then a talk about the Science As- 
sociation and the lectures delivered there. 
Girish took an interest in these lectures. 

401 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Doctor) : Will you 
take me some day to the Association? 

Doctor: My dear Sir, once you are there, you 
would lose all sense-consciousness at the sight 
of the glorious and wonderful works of God, of 
the intelligence shown in these works and the 
adaptation of the means to the end. 

Sri Ramakrishna: Oh indeed! 

Doctor (to Girish) : Do everything else, but 
Worship of P r ay do not worship Him as God. 
the spiritual By doing so, you are only bringing 

preceptor. • 111 

rum on such a holy man. 

Girish: Sir, there is, I fear, no help for it. 
He who has enabled me to get across this ter- 
rible sea of the world and the no less terrible 
sea of scepticism — how else shall I serve such 
a person? There is nothing in Him I cannot 
worship. 

Doctor: I myself hold that all men are equal. 
As to this holy man, do you think I cannot 
salute and kiss the dust of His feet? Look 
here ! (The Doctor saluted and kissed the dust 
of the Bhagavan's feet.) 

Girish: Oh, sir, the angels in heaven are 
saying: "Blessed, blessed be this auspicious 
moment!" 

Doctor: You seem to think that saluting 
402 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

anyone's feet is something like a marvel! You 
do not see that I can do the same in the case of 
everybody. (To a gentleman seated near) 
Now, sir, oblige me by allowing me to salute 
your feet. (To another) And you, sir. (To 
a third) And you, sir. (The Doctor saluted 
the feet of many.) 

Vivekananda (to the Doctor) : Sir, we look 
upon the Bhagavan as a person who is like God. 
Let me make my idea clear to you. There is a 
point somewhere between the vegetable crea- 
tion and the animal creation where it is difficult 
to say whether a particular thing is a vegetable 
or an animal. Much in the same way there is 
a point somewhere between the man-world and 
the God-world where you cannot say with 
certainty whether a person is a human being or 
God. 

Doctor: Well, my friend, matters relating to 
God cannot be explained by analogy. 

Vivekananda: I say, not God, but Godlike 
man. 

Doctor: You should not give vent to feelings 
of reverence like that. Speaking for myself, no 
one has been able, I am sorry to say, to judge 
my inward feelings. My best friends often re- 
gard me as stern and cruel. Even you, my 

403 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

good friends, may beat me some day with shoes 
and turn me out. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to the Doctor) : Do not say 
that, Doctor. These people love you so much! 
They watch and look for you like ladies come 
together in the bride-chamber looking for the 
coming bridegroom. 

Girish: Everyone here has the greatest re- 
spect for you. 

Doctor (sorrowfully) : My son — even my 
wife looks upon me as hard-hearted, and for 
the simple reason that I am by nature loath to 
show my feelings. 

Girish: In that case, sir, do you not think it 
would be better to throw open the door of your 
mind, at least out of pity for your friends? 
You well see that your friends do not under- 
stand you. 

Doctor: Shall I say it? Well, my feelings 
are worked up even more than yours. (To 
Vivekananda) I shed tears in solitude. 

Doctor (to Sri Ramakrishna) : Sir, may I 
say that it is not good that you allow people to 
touch your feet with their body while you are 
in Samddhi? 

Sri Ramakrishna : You do not mean that I am 
conscious of this ? 

404 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Doctor: You feel that it is not a right thing 
to do, do you not? 

Sri Ramakrishna: What shall I say as re- 
gards the state of my mind during Samddhi? 
After the Samadhi is over I often go so far as 
to ask myself : May not this be the cause of the 
disease that I have got? The thing is, the 
thought of God makes me mad. All this is the 
result of Divine madness. There is no help for 
it. 

Doctor (to the disciples) : He expresses re- 
gret for what he does. He feels that the act is 
wrong. 

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish) : You have great 
penetration. You explain it all to him, will you 
not? 

Girish (to the Doctor) : Sir, you are quite mis- 
taken. He is by no means sorry that His feet 
touch the persons of the devotees. No, it is 
not that. His body is pure, sinless; it is purity 
itself. He is good enough, in His anxiety for 
their spiritual welfare, to allow His Hallowed 
Feet to touch the bodies of the devotees. As a 
result of His taking their sins upon Himself, 
His own body, He thinks, may be suffering 
from disease. Think of your own case. You 
were once taken ill, so you have told us, as the 

405 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

result of hard study. Well, did you not at that 
time express regret that you had sat up reading 
until very late at night ? Does that prove that 
reading until the late hours of the night 
is bad? The Bhagavan may be sorry from 
the point of view of the patient; He is by 
no means sorry from the point of view of 
a Teacher from God anxious for the welfare 
of humanity. 

Doctor (somewhat disconcerted): I confess I 
am beaten. Now give me the dust of your 
feet. (To Vivekananda) This matter apart, 
I must admit the acuteness of Girish's intel* 
lectual powers. 

Vivekananda (to the Doctor) : You may view 
the question in another way. You sometimes 
devote your life to the task of making a scien- 
tific discovery, and then you do not look to 
your body, your health or anything. Now, the 
knowledge of God is the grandest of all sciences ; 
is it not natural that the Bhagavan has risked 
His health for this end, and, it may be, sacri- 
ficed it? We offer to Him worship equal to 
Divine worship. 

The doctor then saluted the Bhagavan and 
took his leave. At that moment Bijoy entered 

and prostrated himself at the feet of Sri Rama- 

406 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

krishna. He had been making pilgrimages to 
various hply places, and Mahima said to him: 
Sir, you have just returned from a pilgrimage; 
you have seen many things, kindly tell us about 
them. 

Bijoy: What shall I say? I see now that 
here I find everything. To go on pilgrimages 
Pilgrimage is useless travelling. There are some 
useless. places where you will find one- 

sixteenth, or at the utmost one-fourth, of what 
you see here. In the Bhagavan I find every- 
thing in full complement. I have not found 
anyone who possesses anything more than our 
Bhagavan. 

Ramakrishna (to Vivekananda) : Look what 
a wonderful change has taken place in Bijoy. 
His character has become entirely different, as 
if the milk has been boiled and thickened. By 
seeing the neck and forehead I can recognize 
the state of Paramahamsa. 

Mahima (to Bijoy) : Sir, you take very little 
food, do you not? 

Bijoy: Yes, I believe I do. (To Rama- 
krishna) Revered Sir, hearing of Thy illness I 
have come to see Thee. 

Ramakrishna: What? 

Bijoy kept silent for a while and then said. 
407 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

No one can understand Thy perfection unless 
Thou givest the power. 

Ramakrishna: Kedar said to me that when 
he went to other places he starved, but that 
here he always found food in abundance. 

Bijoy (clasping his hands before Rama- 
krishana): Lord, I know Thee now. I under- 
stand Thy glory. Thou needest not tell me of it. 

Thereupon Ramakrishna went into Samadhi. 
When He returned, He said: "If that be so, 
let it be so." 

Bijoy: Yes, Lord, now I know Thee. 

Saying this, Bijoy prostrated himself before 
Ramakrishna and pressed to his breast the 
Hallowed Feet of the Lord. Bhagavan Sri 
Ramakrishna, again losing all sense-conscious - 
dess, entered into God-consciousness and re- 
mained motionless like a carven image. Seeing 
this wonderful sight, some of the devotees shed 
tears of joy and happiness, while others kneeled 
and began to pray to the Bhagavan. Each one 
fixed his eyes upon Sri Ramakrishna and, ac- 
cording to the innermost feeling of his heart, 
realized his Ideal in Him. Some saw in Him 
the Ideal Devotee, while others recognized the 
Divine Incarnation in a human form. Mahima. 
with tears of joy in his eyes, chanted: "Behold. 

408 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

behold,. the embodiment of Divine Love! " And 
after a few minutes, as if catching a glimpse of 
the Absolute Brahman in Ramakrishna, he 
exclaimed : ' ' Infinite Existence , Intelligence 
and Love, beyond Unity and Diversity!" 

After remaining in this state for a long time, 
Bhagavan Ramakrishna came down once more 
on the human plane and said: God 
incarnates Himself in a human form. 
It is true that He dwells everywhere, in all living 
creatures, but the desires of the human soul 
cannot be fulfilled except by an Avatara or 
Divine Incarnation. The human being longs 
to see Him, touch Him, be with Him and enjoy 
His Divine company. In order to fulfill such 
desires, the Incarnation of God is necessary. 

When an Avatara or Divine Incarnation de- 
scends, however, the people at large do not 
know it. It is known only to a few chosen dis- 
ciples. Can everyone comprehend the indi- 
visible Absolute Brahman, Existence-Intelli- 
gence-Bliss Absolute? 

When the Supreme Lord incarnated Himself 

as Rama, only twelve sages knew it. The other 

saints and sages knew Him as the 

Rama. fe 

prince of the Raja Dasaratha. But 
those twelve sages prayed to Him, saying: "0 

409 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Rarria, Thou art the indivisible Existence-In- 
telligence-Bliss Absolute. Thou hast incar- 
nated in this human form. By Thine own 
power of Maya Thou appearest as a human be- 
ing, but in reality Thou art the Lord of the 
universe. " 

410 



CHAPTER XIV 

COSSIPUR GARDEN-HOUSE 



Bhagavan Ramakrishna resided for a few 
months in a large and beautiful garden at Cos- 
sipur, about two miles north of Calcutta. Here 
He was constantly surrounded by His most be- 
loved Sannyasin disciples and by those women 
disciples who were especially devoted to Him. 

The Sannyasin disciples were twelve in num- 
ber.* Most of them were young men of noble 
families and were graduates of the University 
at Calcutta. They had left their homes and 



* Narendra ( Vivekananda) , Rakhal (Brahmananda), Niran- 
jan (Niranjananda), Sashi (Ramakrishnananda), Sarat (Sara- 
dananda), Baburam (Premananda), Kali (Abhedananda), 
jogin (Yogananda), Latoo (Adbhutananda), Gopal (Advai- 
t§,nanda), Tarak (Shivananda), Subodh (Subodhananda). 

411 • 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

relatives for His sake. Their one aim in life 
was to serve their Master, the living God on 
earth and the Incarnation of Divinity in a 
human form. The love of Sri Ramakrishna 
captivated their hearts and souls. Indeed 
these earnest and sincere disciples were the 
pillars upon which the Divine Manifestation 
was about to build the structure of His univer- 
sal mission. The illness which the Bhagavan 
had assumed upon His physical form was the 
means by which He gathered His beloved ones 
around Him and gave them the opportunity to 
nurse and wait upon their Divine Master. They 
sacrificed their personal comfort upon the altar 
of true devotion and served their Lord with 
whole heart and soul day after day and night 
after night. Their devotion was unique and 
unparalleled in the religious history of modern 
India. It was these young disciples who after- 
wards became the world-renowned Swamis of 
the Order of Sri Ramakrishna. There were also 
householder disciples, like Suresh, Balaram, 
Girish, Ram, Mahendra and others, who used 
to come frequently to see Ramakrishna and to 
serve Him by supplying the household with all 
necessary things. 

412 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



11 

Ramakrishna occupied the large room on the 
second floor of the beautiful house situated in 
the centre of the spacious garden. He was 
seated on His bed, which was spread on the 
floor, and was surrounded by His Sannyasin 
and householder disciples. Conversation arose 
concerning Sannyas (Renunciation) and a 
householder's life, and Girish asked: Bhagavan, 
which is right — to renounce the world with a 
view to avoid worldly cares and suffering or to 
worship God living with one's family? 

Bhagavan referred to the teaching of the 
Bhagavad Git a and said: He who lives with his 
To live in the f arn ily but is unattached to the re- 
woridorto lations and things of the world, who 
performs his duties without seeking 
the results of his works, attains to God in the 
same manner as one who has renounced the 
world after realizing that earthly relations and 
objects are transitory and unreal. Those who 
renounce the world merely to avoid worldly 
cares and suffering belong to the lowest class of 
Sannyasins. He who has attained to God living 
in the world is like the man who resides in a 

413 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

crystal palace and sees everything of the outside 
as well as of the inside of the palace. 

Girish: Bhagavan, why is it that mind after 
reaching a very high plane comes down to the 
world? 

Bhagavan : It is natural with the mind of one 
who lives in the world. Sometimes it is on a 
Fickleness high plane and sometimes on a low. 
of the mind. Sometimes there is a great upheaval 
of devotional feeling, then again it subsides, 
because the attraction of lust and wealth is 
very strong. A devotee who lives in the world 
may meditate on God and repeat His holy 
Name, but again his mind is attracted by the 
power of lust and wealth, just as a fly some- 
times lights on the most delicious sweetmeat 
and sometimes relishes the taste of filth or of a 
rotten carcass. 

It is different, however, with those who have 
renounced the world. They have detached 
a true their mind entirely from lust and 

Sannyasin. wealth and have fixed it upon the 
Supreme. They constantly drink the nectar 
of Divine Love. The mind of a true Sannyasin 
does not care for anything other than the 
Supreme. He leaves the place where worldly 
talk prevails. He listens to discourses about 

414 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

the highest Spiritual Truth alone. A true San- 
nyasin does not speak of worldly matters, he 
utters no word which has not bearing upon the 
Spiritual Ideal. A bee sits on flowers only to 
drink honey. He does not care for any other 
object. Then, referring to Rakhal (Swami 
Brahmananda) , who had a wife and a child be- 
fore he renounced the world, Ramakrishna 
said: Rakhal and others like him have now 
understood which is good and which is evil, 
which is real and which is unreal. They have 
realized that earthly relations are transitory 
and ephemeral. They will never again be at- 
tached to the world. They are like eels which 
live in the mud but remain untouched by it. 

Girish: I do not understand all that. Thou 
hast the power to make everyone unattached 
to the world and free from bondage. Thou 
hast the power to make everyone perfect whether 
a Sannyasin or a householder. When the Ma- 
laya breeze blows it can transform all trees into 
sandalwood trees. 

Bhagavan : But pithless trees like the banana- 
The worthy an< ^ ^ e cotton-tree are not trans- 
wm become formed into sandalwood. Similarly 
** ect * those who are worthy will become 

perfect. Worldliness means attachment to 

415 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

lust and wealth. Many worldly people con- 
sider wealth as their heart's blood. But if you 
take too much care of wealth, perhaps one day 
it will go entirely out of your possession. In 
our country farmers build earthen embank- 
ments round their fields. Those who do not 
leave open any passage for water and take too 
much care of their embankments, invariably 
have theirs washed off first by the tremendous 
current of the water; but those who keep one 
side open, find that their fields become enriched 
with alluvial deposits and more fertile in the 
end. They make the best use of their riches 
who spend them in the service of the Lord and 
of holy sages. They reap good fruits of their 
wealth who give freely to the poor and needy 
and for the good of humanity. 

The Bhagavan continued: I cannot use any 
object that is given to me by physicians and 
medical practitioners who live upon the painful 
diseases of other people. However, it is dif- 
ferent with those physicians who are kind- 
hearted, charitable and unselfish. 

iii 

To destroy the pride and egotism of His dis- 
ciples, Sri Ramakrishna told them to wear the 

4.1" 6 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

seamless ochre robe of the Sannyasin and to take 
Taught His U P the begging-bowl. Being Him- 
discipiesre= self a perfect Sannyasin, He loved to 

nunciation. TT . i- • i r i-i • tt« 

see His disciples following Him in 
the path of renunciation. On different occa- 
sions He sent them out, as Buddha and San- 
kara had done with their disciples, to beg food 
from door to door. One morning He called 
certain among His beloved ones, — Narendra, 
Sarat, Jogen, Niranjan, Kali, — and asked them 
whether they could go forth with the Sannyasin 's 
begging-bowl and beg uncooked food for Him. 
It was indeed a great blow to the caste pride 
as well as to the sense of self-respect of these 
young disciples. Obeying the Master's wish, 
however, they took the begging-bowl in their 
hands, walked from door to door in the neigh- 
borhood, collected various articles of food, 
brought them before their Master and offered 
them at His holy feet. Bhagavan Ramakrishna 
blessed them and rejoiced at their sincere and 
earnest devotion. This was the manner in 
which the Bhagavan initiated His disciples in 
the life of absolute renunciation. 

4i7 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 



IV 

One evening Sri Ramakrishna was attended 
by His faithful servants Sashi (Ramakrishna- 
Meaningof nanda) and Kali (Abhedananda). who 
His illness. we re waiting upon Him. The Bha- 
gavan opened His mouth and inspired them by- 
saying : The illness of my body is caused by the 
sins of those who come and touch my feet. I 
purify the sinners by taking their sins upon 
myself and suffering for them. He who was 
Rama, who was Krishna, Buddha, Christ and 
Chaitanya has now become Ramakrishna. 
Blessed are those who know this truth. My 
Divine Mother has shown me that the photo- 
graph of this body will be kept upon altars and 
be worshipped in different houses as the pic- 
tures of other Avataras are worshipped. My 
Divine Mother has also shown me that I shall 
have to come back again and that my next 
incarnation will be in the West. 



Narendra (Vivekananda) had extreme long- 
ing for the realization of Brahman the Abso- 
lute. One day Bhagavan Ramakrishna, ad- 
dressing Narendra in the presence of other 

418 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

disciples, said: I hold the key of the chest 
which contains the treasure of the highest 
realization. I shall not unlock- that chest until 
you have finished my work which I wish you 
to do. 

vi 

Pandit Sashadhar came one day to pay his 
respects to Bhagavan Ramakrishna. Seeing 
Cure of His illness, he asked Him: Bhaga- 

His illness. van> w hy (j os t Thou not concentrate 
Thy mind upon the diseased part and thus cure 
Thyself? 

The Bhagavan replied: How can I fix my 
mind, which I have given to God, upon this 
cage of flesh and blood? 

Sashadhar said: Why dost Thou not pray 
to Thy Divine Mother for cure of Thy illness ? 

The Bhagavan answered: When I think of My 
Mother the physical body vanishes and I am 
entirely out of it, so it is impossible for Me to 
pray for anything concerning the body. 

Hearing this, Sashadhar bowed at His holy 
feet and asked His blessing. 

vii 

The news of Sri Ramakrisrma's illness spread 
like wild-fire among all those who had known 

419 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

Him or heard of His Divine personality. Hun- 
dreds of people came every day to see Him and 
to pay reverent, homage to Him. Some came 
to receive His blessing, some to kiss the dust of 
His Holy Feet, some to hear a few words 
uttered by Him, and others to clear the doubts 
of their minds. Among these were a few more 
devoted ones, like Hari, Gangadhar, Sarada, 
Tulsi, who afterwards joined the Order and 
were known as Turiyananda, Akhandananda, 
Trigunatita, and Nirmalananda. Bhagavan 
Ramakrishna received them all with equal kind- 
ness and was ever ready to help them. Although 
His love for His physical body was weakened and 
humanity. exhausted, still His desire to help 
mankind was so great that He often exclaimed; 
"I would give twenty thousand bodies like this 
if by that I could help one single soul in the 
path of righteousness and God-consciousness !" 
Dr. Sircar and other physicians gave strict 
orders to the Sannyasin disciples to allow no 
one to come near the Bhagavan, as He needed 
absolute rest and must have no excitement of 
any kind. The Sannyasin disciples followed * 
this advice to the letter and would not allow 
even the householder disciples to come near 
Him or touch His holy body. But Sri Rama- 
420 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

krishna could not bear this bondage. He 
burst into tears when He heard of this restric- 
tion. His heart melted with Divine Love and 
He declared that His suffering was infinitely 
less than that of the worldly people who were 
groaning under the burden of their worldly 
cares and anxieties and who had no one to lift 
them above this mundane existence. His love 
for humanity was So great that, disregarding 
His bodily welfare, He called everyone near 
unto Him in the same manner as Jesus the 
Christ called all those who were heavily laden 
and who sought for peace and rest. 

Many a time the Bhagavan declared before 
His beloved Sannyasin children : Divine Mother 
is working through this form. She has kept it 
so long because Her work is not yet finished. 

When He could scarcely speak or swallow 
any food, the Bhagavan said: I am now speak- 
His oneness ing and eating through so many 
with ail. mouths. I am the Soul of all indi- 

vidual souls. I have infinite mouths, infinite 
heads, infinite hands and feet. My pure form 
is spiritual. It is absolute Existence, Intelli- 
gence and Bliss condensed, as it were. It has 
neither birth nor death, neither sorrow, disease 
nor suffering. It is immortal and perfect. I 

421 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

see the indivisible Absolute Brahman (Sat- 
chit-ananda) within me as well as all around 
me. You are all like my own parts. The In- 
finite Brahman is manifesting Itself through so 
many human forms. Human bodies are like 
pillow-cases of different shapes and various 
colors, but the cotton wool of the internal Spirit 
is one. When Jiva (ego) enters into that Spirit 
and becomes one with it, there is neither pain 
nor suffering. I am the Infinite Spirit covered 
by a human skin which has a wound somewhere 
near the throat. Mind affects the body and is 
in turn affected by the body. When the body 
is ill, that illness reacts upon the mind. When 
one is burned by hot water one says: " This 
water has burned me," but the truth is that 
heat burns and not the water. All pain is in 
the body, all disease is in the body, but the 
Spirit is above pain and beyond the reach of 
disease. 

My illness is to teach mankind how to think 
of the Spirit and how to live in God-conscious- 
Purpose of ness even when there is extreme pain 
His illness. j n ^he "body ; when the body is suffer- 
ing from the agony of pain and starvation, 
when there is no remedy within human power, 

even then the Mother shows that Spirit is the 

422 



GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA 

master of the body. My illness is to set an ex- 
ample of absolute mastery of the Spirit over 
matter in this age of materialism and scepti- 
cism. My Divine Mother has brought this ill- 
ness upon this body to convince the sceptics of 
the present age that Atman is Divine, that 
God-consciousness is as true and practical to- 
day as it was in the Vedic period, that when one 
reaches perfection, freedom from all bondage 
is attained. My Divine Mother has shown 
through Her child what is meant by the various 
kinds of Yoga and how people of this age can 
attain to it. She has also shown that all 
Scriptures are true, that all religions are like 
paths which lead to the same common goal of 
the one Infinite Divinity. All of my religious 
practices, Yoga practices, devotional exercises 
have been for the good of others and not for my 
own good. My Mother has set through this 
form a living example in this age. 

" Whosoever will practise one-sixteenth part 
of what I have said and done will surely attain 
to God-consciousness in this life. ,, 

423 



INDEX 

MARGINAL HEADINGS 

PAGE 

About the Absolute nothing can be told 254 

Absolute Brahman and Divine Mother 342 

Absolute frankness 217 

A child's "I" 57 

A devotee is rich in spirit 185 

Agnosticism in Europe and America 250 

Ajnanam and Jnanam 119 

All desires fulfilled 208 

All phenomena unreal 113 

All religions lead to God 25 

All rituals end in Samadhi 265 

All sects of one family 345 

Animal food and Vegetarianism 398 

A spiritual leader must renounce the world 258 

A true devotee always calm 42 

A true Sannyasin 414 

Attachment to the body 336 

Attachment to work 238 

Attainment of God-vision , . 242 

Attainment of knowledge gradual 308 

Avadhuta and a bee 67 

Avadhuta and a kite 66 

Avatara 292, 409 

Avataras and ordinary Jivas 292 

Abesha of Ramakrishna 261 

425 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Badge of authority 269 

Become one with all 345 

Bhakta's attitude 147 

Bhakti and Jnana 201 

Bhakti Yoga 272 

Bigotry is not right ' 27 

Bliss comes in meditation 190 

Body and Atman , 219 

Body result of past actions 186 

Book knowledge and realization . 82 

Book learning 116 

Book-learned Pandits like vultures 104 

Bound souls 45 

Brahman and Sakti are one 132 

Brahman impersonal and personal 132 

Brahman indescribable 106 

Brahman is Silence 109 

Brahman untouched by good and evil 105 

Calculating intellect 394 

Cast all care on God 314 

Character and associations 198 

Company of the wicked 42 

Compassion and attachment 252 

Concentration 275 

Concentration and meditation 48 

Creation of the world 153 

Cure of His illness 419 

Danger of psychic powers 320 

Days of struggle 207 

Degrees of knowledge 303 

Delusive power of Maya 157, 259 

426 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Desire for powers prevents realization 322 

Devotee's heart the temple of the Lord 145 

Devotion to the Supreme 200 

Difference between Soul and God 55 

Difference in powers 327 

Different aspects of Divinity 30 

Different aspects of God 148 

Different paths to God 270 

Difficult to be rid of "I" 56 

Discrimination and renunciation 299 

Discrimination of an Advaitin 146 

Dispassion 49 

Disputations prevent realization of God 375 

Distaste for worldly conversation 215 

Divine commission 169 

Divine communion 296 

Divine Incarnation 351 

Divine intoxication 230 

Divine love and ecstasy 74 

Divine love and its various aspects 202 

Divine Mother in all women 335 

Divine Mother omnipresent 154 

Divine Mother the material and the instrumental cause. . 154 

Divine Mother's will 156 

Divinity everywhere 210 

Doing good to the world 137 

Dual existence 398 

Dualistic and monistic Vedanta 278 

Ecstasy 80 

Ecstatic love 301 

Ego of knowledge 294 

Egoism of a saint no 

427 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Egotism 302 

Egotism and knowledge 340, 392 

Egotism rises from ignorance 235 

Effect of lectures on worldly men 264 

Evening at the Temple 32, 195 

Everything depends on God's will 92 

Everything the will of God 223 

Example of Janaka 161 

Faith and realization .- 323 

Fetters of the soul . 73 

Fickleness of the mind 414 

Fire of Bhakti destroys sins 296 

Firmness of faith necessary for realization 325 

First cleanse the heart 175 

First see God, then help the world 1 70 

Fit vessels 286 

Food for a Bhakta 231 

Four classes of individual souls 44 

Four stages of realization 322 

God and the Scriptures 326 

God dwells in all 37 

God, His devotee and His word one 259 

God in everything 39 

God is formless and with form 62 

God is Infinite 312 

God is like a magnet 59 

God manifest 367 

God Personal and Impersonal 28 

God provides for those who have realized Him 334 

God realized by purified soul. . 368 

God the Absolute and God the Creator one 191 

428 



INDEX 

PAGE 

God the one Master z^y 

God, the sea of Immortality 249 

God, the Sun of wisdom 6o 

God-vision and philanthropic works i^ 

God-vision the end of all performance of duty 172 

Good works and compassion for ail IQ 3 

Grace of God 286, 313, 327 

Hatha Yoga 274 

He uplifted womanhood j 7 

Helping others 295 

His Divine powers 20 

His love for humanity. . 420 

His mission IO , 18 

His oneness with all 421 

His Renunciation z 5 

His Samadhi ! ,- 

His spiritual insight x ^ 

Householder's duties ^^ 

How a householder should live in the world 77 

How to fix one's mind on God 6t- 

How to love God 72 

How to pray ^03 

How to recognize a saint 73 

Human soul the child of God 204 

Humility of Ramakrishna ! ^p 

Ideal of a wet-nurse 2 co 

Illustration of a bull's-eye lantern 5 X 

Image worship 5^ 

Intellectual apprehension and realization oj? 

Intense devotion necessary j5 4 

Is work the aim of life ? 2 ao 

429 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Jnana and Vijnana 281 

Jnana Yoga 270 

Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga 113 

Karma (past actions) 309 

Karma Yoga 271 

Kali, why black ? 154 

Keshab and his disciples 257 

Knowledge is relative 389 

Kumbhaka 275 

Law of Karma 183 

Lay cares on God 395 

Lectures and sermons of preachers 245 

Life of Sri Ramakrishna by European Scholars 2 

Longing to hear about the Supreme 216 

Love for all 42 

Love of God, the one thing needful 313 

Lover of God 191 

Lust and gold unreal 70 

Madness of Divine love 74 

Mahendra's visit to the Temple 22 

Many names of one God 26 

Maya 114 

Maya and Daya. 182 

Meaning of His illness 418 

Meaning of Keshab's illness 221 

Meaning of Om 96 

Means of God-vision 71 

Meditation 276 

Money is power 52 

43° 



<< a . 
« « . 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Need of solitude 69 

Non-attachment 112 

Non-attachment necessary 85 

Non-dualistic Vedantins 180 

One God has many names 151 

Ordinary spiritual teachers are blind 169 

Parable of a Brahmin Priest and his boy 125 

: man seeking a light i 283 

; salt doll 109 

: woodcutter 243 

" " " woodcutter and his dream 280 

" " the ant and the mount of sugar 107 

" " " bird on the mast 282 

" " " chameleon 29 

" " " deserted temple 1 74 

" " " disciple and the mad elephant 38 

" " " elephant and the blind men 28 

" " false Sadhu. 205 

" " " farmer and his only child 93 

" " " farmer and the canal 49 

" " " father and his dying son 84 

" " " four travelers 255 

" " " monk and the Zemindar 88 

" " pious weaver 90 

" " " rich man and his Sircar 120 

" " " snake and the holy man 40 

" " " three robbers 253 

" " " tiger : . . 203 

" " " Vedic father and his two sons 106 

Path of Bhakti Yoga best for this age 172 

Path of devotion , 240 

43 1 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Perfect knowledge brings realization of oneness 220 

Pilgrimages 284 

Pilgrimage useless 407 

Power of desire 314 

Power of repentance 59 

Power of the Lord's Holy Name 23 

Power of the mind 158 

Power of true faith and true longing 72 

Powhari Baba of Gazipur 145 

Practice of non-attachment 68 

Pray that worldly work may grow less 170 

Prayer for Bhakti 397 

Prayer of a true Bhakta 392 

Prayer to the Divine Mother 161, 360 

Pride 75 

Pride and egotism 338 

Psychic powers 320 

Pure Bhakti and pure Jnana one 194 

Pure heart 59 

Purpose of His illness 422 

Qualified non-dualism 370 

Raja Yoga 271 

Raja Yogi 148 

Rama 409 

Ramakrishna a Real Mahatman 4 

Ramakrishna as the Divine Ideal of all sects 9 

Ramakrishna goes on board the steamer 143 

Ramakrishna leaves Vidyasagara 141 

Ramakrishna's childlike nature 100 

Ramakrishna' s ecstasy 14-7 226, 363 

unakrishna's influence upon the mind of Scholars 7 

43 2 



tN£>£X 

PAGE 

Ramakrishna's love of humor 102 

Ramakrishna's Samadhi 131 

Realization 389 

Realization of God 14 

Relation between Brahman and Sakti 150 

Relation between God Personal and Impersonal 31 

Relation between Guru and disciples 111 

Renunciation 316 

Renunciation and worldly men 331 

Renunciation not necessary for all 158 

Resign all to God 332 

Resignation 89 

Resistance of evil 40 

Right discrimination 79 

Sages teach for the good of others in 

Sages who have reached the seventh plane 291 

Samadhi of Ramakrishna 189 

Sankara and the pariah 305" 

Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas . 252 

Saving power of God's name 160 

Saviours 1 

Scriptures and realization 355 

Sectarianism and Brahma-Jnana 256 

Seek God in man 352 

Selfless works purify the heart 136 

Self -surrender and prayer 123 

Sense of "I" 51, 118 

Sense of sin 159 

Servant "I" of a Bhakta 56 

Seven mental planes 290 

Seven stages of spiritual evolution 53 

Signs of one who has realized God . . . 23 V 

433 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Signs of true wisdom 335 

Solitude a remedy for worldliness , 163 

Solitude necessary 65 

Souls eternally free 293 

Spiritual awakening necessary to see the Reality 372 

Spiritual knowledge and the worldly 304 

Spiritual practices 306 

Stages of spirituality 300 

Stages of spiritual practice 307 

State of God-vision 317 

Story of a boy and the cow-house 245 

Story of a man and his cottage 246 

Subtle body 395 

Sudden conversion 324 

Taught His disciples renunciation 417 

The Absolute and the Divine Mother 259 

The Absolute and the phenomenal 95 

The Absolute Brahman 390 

The Divinely -commissioned teacher 266 

The Divine Mother will cure worldly attachment ........ 337 

The Divine presence in images 183 

The ego of a calf 236 

The importance of practice 396 

The innermost feelings of a true Bhakta 147 

The kingdom of God is everywhere . . . . 87 

The Lord alone is thine own 121 

The Lord smiles on two occasions 120 

The Lord, the Ocean of Immortality 135 

The Lord untouched by good and evil 393 

The madness of love for the Lord 227 

The mercy of the Lord 60 

The Mother of the universe and Her sports 152 

434 



INDEX 

PAGE 

The nature of disciples must be examined 167 

The necessity of practice 266 

The omnipotence of faith 125 

Theosophy 399 

The power of the Divine Mother 133, 155 

The realm of the Divine Energy 150 

The Siddha and the elephant 32 1 

The signs of a true Jnani 280 

The unripe and ripe "I " 256 

The world as a dream 149 

The world like a dream 93 

The worldly "I " 55 

The world unreal. 76 

The worthy will become perfect 415 

Thought of freedom brings freedom 181 

Three classes of characters 339 

Three classes of religious teachers 285 

Three Gunas of nature 254 

Three obstacles in the way of perfection 388 

Three states of consciousness in ecstasy 302 

Time necessary for religious awakening 299 

To live in the world or to renounce it 413 

Trials of a devotee 184 

True devotion and love 58 

True knowledge and ignorance 389 

True meaning of Gita. 116 

Truthfulness 232 

Two classes of Paramahamsas 294 

Unity and variety 221 

Unity in diversity 115 

Value of lectures without Divine commission. 268 

435 



INDEX 

PAGE 

Value of solitude 162 

Vanity 393 

Various aspects of the Brahman 146 

Vidya and A vidya 104 

Vijnani and Bhakta 114 

Vishnu as a boar • . 260 

Vision of the Divine Mother and the Absolute. .«, 343 

Visit to a poor Brahmin 211 

Visit to Devendra Nath Tagore 212 

Visit to Keshab Sen 219 

Visit to Padmalochana 214 

Vyasa and the Gopis 306 

What happens after death ' 278 

What is Bhakti ? 132 

What thou thinkest, thou shalt become 47 

When God is attained worldly attachment vanishes 97 

Where Ramakrishna lived 21 

Who is a true spiritual teacher ? 168 

Why God cannot be seen. . 258 

Work and grace 8^ 

Work necessary for God-vision 80 

Work without devotion 249 

Work with the mind fixed on God 399 

Worldly attachment and realization , 300 

Worship God in solitude 328 

Worship of the spiritual preceptor 402 

Zoological Garden, Visit to 209 

436 



m 1719 



